A twist in the legends
by Olive nerd
Summary: Upset that her brother, Po, doesn't believe that she could become a master, LiJuan wishes him away to a character she created. But to her horror, a familiar face makes her wish a reality. LiJuan only has a few hours before Po is history. Alt Universe
1. My kingdom is as great

A twist in the legends

I do not own Kung Fu Panda from Dreamwork's nor The Labyrinth from Jim Henson videos. This is just a fan story that I came up with. Enjoy the tale!

_Po's sister- LiJuan (beautiful and soft)_

_"No one can blame you for walking away. But to much rejection, no love injection." - Quote from David Bowie's 'The Underground'_

"Aw Baba, please?_ Please_? I won't be gone for more than two hours!"

"No."

"Not even if I wax your eyebrows?"

"Absolutely _no_t, LiJuan!"

The female giant panda slumped sadly, while mindlessly fiddling with her powdered apron. She disliked-no, _loathed _missing a grand festival. And aside from that, this festival was the Qi Xi festival! It's when her usually noisy and dull neighborhood would admit their secretive crushes, boys would be beyond gorgeous, and her gals would appear in their most fabulous dresses. She already had her favorite kimono picked out for chef's sake! "Well, explain then."

"Think about the customers, my sweet plum! With all this young talk about couples and crushes and all those side effects that kids your age have from the opposite gender, business will be booming!"

"Baba, I'm not a little she-bear anymore that sucks on raw plums for a living. I'm reaching that, um, age."

Mr. Ping immediately turned from where he was chopping scrumptious bites of cabbage. "Oh,_ that _age." He began to play with his aged, tan apron. "Um, Li-"

"Hey, Dad! LiJuan! Guess who's going to Gongmen City once more?"

LiJuan fought the urge to scowl at her optimistic twin brother. Ping Po, in her opinion, was living the golden dream. When they were first found by their adoptive dad, Mr. Ping, in a very tiny radish basket, they were equal children of the noodle chef. However, when she was taking a birthday trip with her pig friend, Yue', to Gongmen City, you could say she was surprised to return home and see her brother now as the 'Dragon Warrior.'

_He_ always got the breaks from the endless cooking, chores, and complaining customers. _He_ was a legend and partnered with six legendary creatures, and he even battled an enemy that was from _Gongmen City_! The irony of it all!

Yet even if he'd never became the Kung Fu master he is today, LiJuan would still be jealous of the attention he earned from his good looks. Sure, Po was enormous before he started training. However, the guy had a lot going for him. He had a sort-of cute grin, striking jade eyes, and even had the personality that girls went gaga for! He never got frustrated with her, would never hurt her, and was, so far, the only male she knew that could tolerate her temper. In LiJuan's sight, her brother was either extremely ignorant at his looks, or denied it in pity of her terrible looks.

"Hey, bro. How's the weather up there?"

"Pretty great today. I sparred with Tigress, and you know that Monkey and Mantis were at it at their jokes again!"

LiJuan giggled at the thought of the Furious Five, whom she knew just about as well as Po did, despite all the Kung Fu knowledge.

"If you ask me, that toothy insect is just avoiding his crush on Ms. Fangless!"

"GET OUT!" Po's jaw involuntarily dropped.

LiJuan grinned teasingly and flicked her brother's nose. "Oh please, Po. I'm a _wiz_ at relationships! By the way, how's Ti?"

Po narrowed his gaze in suspicion. "You don't mean…." He began to flush at a certain realization.

"Ask her, Po."

"Who?"

"Don't play dumb when the Qi Yu festival starts after sundown!"

"The _what_?"

LiJuan sighed, exasperated. "Buddy, you've been hanging out with all those old timer legends and people too long. The Qi Yu festival is when-"

"-A certain daughter should be helping his poor father serve the customers!" Both pandas whirled at their father's exclamation.

Suddenly, Po gasped and glanced at their open window. "LJ, did you say sundown?"

"Yeah, and aren't you going to-"

"PO!" The doors of Mr. Ping's restaurant slammed open to reveal a very, very, enraged feline. "WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN?"

Po scratched his neck and sighed. "Tigress, I can't."

"You _have_ to."

"But she's-"

"Ti?" LiJuan put one firm, soft hand on Tigress' left shoulder. "What's going on?"

For a brief second, the female panda could detect regret in the beautiful tiger's gleaming amber eyes. But it was quickly replaced with an unemotional expression. "We request that you join us in the Qi Xi festival."

LiJuan blinked a few times in disbelief, and then studied Tigress. "Seriously? But I'm not a master."

"W-Well." Po stepped into the conversation, while stuttering. "We thought it'd be great that you could join us."

"Oh, PO!" Mr. Ping set down his utensils and grinned happily at his son. "Then why don't you let your old dad-"

"Forgive me, Mr. Ping." Tigress began to visibly show guilt. "Only your daughter is allowed to join us."

Suddenly, the aging grey goose's grin turned into a disappointed frown. "I guess I'm too old, dull, and oh right, not _formal _enough to join my children!"

"No Dad, it's just LJ-"

"-Your dad's always the busy body and bossy old, old, snapper doodle! Well then, fine!"

"Mr. Ping. It's just that Master Shifu-"

"-I don't care anymore about your constant rules, and nags about so-called disrespect! If you think that I, a father and humble chef, am allowed to spend quality time with his two only children because it'll embarrass you, well then I won't bother or even allow Kung Fu in this household ANYMORE!" And with that, the depressed goose stomped off with a full bin of biodegradable garbage and headed outside.

Once he left. LiJuan turned to Po and Tigress in shock. "Po…", LiJuan's voice was suddenly caught in her throat.

"We didn't mean to," Po assured her. "We just thought that you, er, needed a break."

'Yeah right, and I laid an egg this morning,' she thought to herself. LiJuan was great at knowing when her twin brother lied. It was just the tone of his usually humorous voice and his eye wandering gave it away. She still remembered an unforgettable incident that happened when he lied about stuffing her favorite doll, ZhenZhen, with sticky bean buns and prunes. They were only toddlers then, but there were other incidents that occurred in her life that, even as they grew smaller, never ceased to amaze and anger her.

"Hey, why don't you get that dress, LJ," Po suggested after an awkward silence was shared.

LiJuan felt like she should confront him. But with one thought of that striking kimono, LiJuan was hooked. She marched up to her small but glowing bedroom of dolls, sketches of old friends, scattered poems that she learned from Master Shifu and Crane, her bead jewelry collection, and the amazing souvenirs she earned from Gongmen City.

LiJuan paused from her dressing to gaze at the three exotic items. They weren't much, yet they were too special for her to sell or give away. Gongmen City was the only other city she'd ever been able to visit. LiJuan could still remember the sweet smells of their steaming rice and the exquisite village and palace. She, Yue, and Yue's parents stayed at a family friend's small but lively home. Her name was Chen, and she was a very tiny but attractive sheep.

On the second day of their visit, Chen was able to gain access to Gongmen's palace as a temporary cook and invited the girls to tag along. LiJuan's heart ached at the memory of the wonderful palace. The kitchen seemed spotless and served the mouth-watering dishes, (but of course, the food there would _never_ replace her Baba's,) the stairs were endless but worth it, and even the bathrooms had their own choice of a variety of soaps and straw mats from various countries across the world! (One of LiJuan's souvenirs was a sample of a golden straw mat from France.)

But when she and Yue snuck into the palace, their eyes went wide in awe. The halls seemed to beckon with everlasting glory, there was not a speck of dirt on the floor nor furniture, and the throne- oh man! It was designed for an powerful titan in her eyes with its golden and royal blue peacock- shaped fixture and details.

"It looks a bit too proper," Yue commented stupidly.

Her friend craned her neck at her in complete shock. "What?"

"Oh come on, LJ! This throne is so yesterday!"

"And that quote is 'so yesterday!'"

"Well then." The mischievous swine's brown eyes glistened. "If you think it's worth sitting in, then why don'y you?"

"Yeah sure. Why don't you just declare my execution while you're at it?"

This female panda may be temperamental, a dreamer, and rather impulsive like most, but she wasn't a dweeb. Sitting on any royal throne was only a throne where _royal _buttocks belonged in. And also, they just visited this city two days ago, for crying out loud! Would this prideful peacock emperor really be _excited_ to see that his throne was captivated by a big, stuffed, female panda behind? The answer was obvious.

"I refuse to sit in a chair of royalty," LiJuan huffed. But then, her silly friend decided to push her in!

"YUE!" LiJuan's face grew red in anger. "What if somebody-"

"-Well, this is promising."

The two teenage girls yelped in shock at the hooded stranger that appeared behind them. From what LiJuan could remember, the animal was hooded so well that only his gaze was seen from beneath.

"Look, I'm really sorry about all this. I tried to tell dear little LJ here. But she-"

"-From what I say, you ruffly pushed your friend on this throne!"

The accusing but smooth voice held Yue's tongue in place. LiJuan was further away from the stranger, yet his voice made her stay silent as well.

He cocked his head curiously. "What is your name, my black and white friend?"

"LiJuan," she replied shyly. "We're both extremely sorry. We beg of you. Do NOT let the royal guys-"

"i can assure you, my dear." After all this time LiJuan could never doubt that sadistic grin she knew was on his face, even when she couldn't see it. "I can assure you that they never mind in the least." He took out a prim, silver sword. "Are you a warrior, by any chance, LiJuan?"

"I-I'm afraid not, your majesty." LiJuan didn't know how she could've guessed, but his presence seemed too overpowering to be common.

The stranger chuckled at an odd pitch. "Charming child you are! If only children around here were more like you! Where are you-"

"YUE! LIJUAN! The guards have informed me that you_ must_ leave!"

Yue quickly dashed to the nearest exit. But before LiJuan could catch up, the stranger aimed the same silver sword at her throat.

"Such a pity that you're not a warrior or my case would've been settled," he hissed darkly. But then, his blood red eyes met LiJuan's soft turquoise eyes and grinned oddly. "You remind me of my mother. She had your eyes."

LiJuan shuddered under his gaze and inched backwards. "I'm sorry, your Majesty. But I really should be-"

"Of course," he continued, ignoring her reply. "A pretty face like yours would be such a pity to ruin and damage. So i suppose it's for the best. Good day, my child!"

As he reached the stairway exit with echoing steps, LiJuan could only stare at him in disbelief and flush slightly. This creepy hooded animal was the only male, aside from her father and Po, to ever call her pretty in _any way!_

"Oh, and keep this." He threw a small box at her weighed a bit more than she thought it would.

"It is your parting gift," the stranger smirked. He then dashed off and left LiJuan in a complete daze.

Inside the box was a teal pendant that held the carving of a dragon and a phoenix in battle. She was entranced at it, but she never told anyone about where and who she truly got it from.

Her third gift was nothing special. Yue just wanted to get her fortune read by this elderly goat with an intense gaze. She told a pretty pathetic fortune about her choice in clothes, and the female swine took off in disappointment. But the fortune teller gave LiJuan an odd looking bottle of smelly elixir and winked at her.

Sure, LiJuan's first trip away from home was exciting and worth it. But it was so strange that she had to keep the greatest details a secret.

"LJ! Are you ready?"

"COMING!" The female panda glanced at herself in her oval shaped mirror, pinched her soft cheeks, and rushed downstairs. 'I hope the Jade Palace is not near stormy clouds today,' she thought, as she tried to catch up with her overly dramatic brother and the quick feline.


	2. Underground

A twist in the legends

_"Life can be easy, its' not always swell."- Quote from 'The Underground' _

_At the Dragon Ghotto….._

He was seeing signs or his habit of worrying have caught up with him once more.

Normally, the red panda master would usually ignore these so-called signs because they were usually the necessary reminders of his late friend and father, Master Oogway. 'Try Tai Chi once in a while', he'd chuckle through the mist, or 'Tell Monkey "Happy Birthday" for me.' Sometimes, it wasn't Master Oogway but unknown and powerful souls that kept him in touch on the latest ancestral gossip. Who did what or what someone wants his descendants to know were popular discussions. But all the while, it didn't make Shifu any younger.

Maybe that's why the ancient ancestors put Shifu to the test when he trained Po to be the Dragon Warrior he is today. It was one of the worst, most painful days of his life and still is, yet Po also gave him an aura that none of his students could truly master; peace. The giant panda mastered Inner Peace, was peaceful, and was great at keeping almost everyone at peace without even realizing it!

"Speaking of everyone else…"Shifu mumbled, while glancing around curiously. "Where are they?"

"MASTER, IT'S US-OOMPH!" Shifu sighed at Po's overheard clumsiness.

Right after his reaction, a bodacious panda, his sister, and a beautiful tiger appeared in front of the red panda.

"Master Shifu," Tigress bowed. "She's here."

"So bro, Ti, Master, what's all the hustle bustle about? Am I in trouble?"

Master Shifu had to smirk at her question. LiJuan Ping was about as considerate and humorous as her twin brother, yet he could easily detect her temper and troubles at times. He would just assume it was just because female pandas had many growing stages. And since she was exactly Po's age of around eighteen or so, she was going through a rather difficult stage. Besides, it was not like he could've_ prevented _her from being curious, hot-tempered, and slightly naive. And maybe this was why this whole reason of why she was here began to worry him….

"No, you're not in trouble, LiJuan." When he and the Furious Five first met her, they addressed LiJuan as 'Ms. Ping'. Of course, the female panda wouldn't deal with that, and she asked them to call her either LiJuan or simply LJ.

"Then, why are we here and not in the village celebrating?" She glanced at the busy streets below them wistfully, aching to witness the smiles of lovesick neighbors….

"We wanted- well- I wanted to tell you firsthand of the whole situation before we head to the Valley."

"Okay say, let me in on it."

For a brief second, Shifu caught the curious in LiJuan's amazing turquoise blue eyes and smirked. The panda didn't realize it, but she could pass as attractive.

"Well, I've received visions from the legendary ancestors of time-"

"-You can _do_ that?" LiJuan swallowed a squeal and failed at restraining her jumping. Behind her, Tigress gave Po a 'do something' look and Po shrugged lamely in reply.

"LiJuan!" She stopped immediately after hearing the red panda snap.

"Yes," he groaned. "I can. And they've told me that you are granted the very important opportunity of-"

"MASTER SHIFU!" A sweaty, wide-eyed messenger goose with a bruised forehead entered the ghotto. "THE VALLEY IS UNDER ATTACK ONCE MORE BY WOLVES!"

All four animals shuddered at the unwanted memory of a certain army of wolf bandits that did the dirty work of a psychotic peacock. LiJuan may have never been apart of the fights that took place a few months ago, but Po's awkward and fearful side of the story had an effect on her.

Shifu flipped off his long staff and the rest of the three animals rushed to the scene. Before LiJuan huffed a breath for air, the rest of the Furious Five joined them. She noticed that they were wearing romantic garments as well. Crane wore a golden straw hat and a handsome grey-blue vest. Monkey wore a vest as well, except it was tan and worked well with his silver pants. Viper, whom she noticed seemed to glow that evening, wore her original two lotuses with multicolored ribbons on her head and neck and light lavender eyeshadow. Finally, Mantis wore a mini forrest green vest and grew in a bit of a mustache. 'It's probably to impress his future snake bride,' LiJuan thought, while grinning inside. She'd secretly hoped so.

But then, her thoughts drew to Tigress and Po. Why were they not dressed for this fine occasion? Po usually never missed celebration like this, and Tigress was almost always on task whether something terribly important came up. So, why not now?

Once they arrived at the crime scene, the western swap meet, the Furious Five, Shifu, and Po sprung into action. Meanwhile, LiJuan watched from an abandoned pottery shop that smelled like sun-kissed but dusty clay and month old broth. She enjoyed these moments of watching her twin brother showed his true potential. Po always seemed to glow when he or one very skilled master nailed some goof-of-a-bad-guy in the head, gut, kisser, you name it! Besides, what better thing to do than watch a trained group of Kung Fu masters work their magic on some dweebs who don't even know how to fight?

"Wait, the festival!" LiJuan fought the urge to smash her heart-shaped head into one heavy ceramic pot nearby. "What about the festival? Isn't that why these guys brought me here in the first place?"

LiJuan groaned in frustration at her habit of talking to herself and glanced at her elegant sea green kimono. She was glad that her midnight blue sash and matching shoes were not lost nor damaged from all the running she'd done. On top of that, her jade beaded necklace, a gift from her dad on her latest birthday, still looked as if it was just bought. Although, the lower part of her stunning dress was slightly dusty and began to fade.

Before LiJuan had the chance to grow impatient, Po met up with her and had a smug grin on this face. "How'd I do, sister?"

"I give you a C for attempting the job."

"LJ," Po whined while pouting. But then, his sour emotions were replaced with frustration as she giggled.

"Sorry, Po. I'm just messing with you. You're not that much of a fuzz head to know that you're my brother and I'll always be proud of you."

"Thanks, LJ." Po loved these moments when his spunky sister's soft side began to show. It told him that she would always be there for him just as he was for her.

"Yep, you learned it all from me, _baby_ brother."

"Oh buns, not _that _again!"

"Yup! Because who's the oldest, Po?"

"How many times do I have to tell you? It's a fifty-fifty-"

"I'm more mature," LJ smirked.

"Yeah? Well, I'm more, um, awesome!" He shook a pink tongue at her for emphasis.

"Ugh, real mature, you_ baby._"

"LJ!"

"Ahem." The two giant pandas turned to the stern tiger with embarrassed faces.

"If you two are done, then I'm sure that we can head back to the Jade Palace," Tigress asked, cooly but calmly.

"Heh, heh, sure Ti," LiJuan grinned. "Let's hit the road!"

As the eight animals leapt, flew, slithered, or ran back to the Jade Palace, LiJuan couldn't help but notice how nervous Po looked.

"Hey, ViVi," LiJuan whispered to the green-apple snake near her. "Why is Po looking so black and blue instead of black and white?"

Viper hesitated for a brief second, but then gave her an assuring smile. "Oh I'm sure it's nothing, LJ. I mean, he probably doesn't have a date for the festival, you think?"

It was either LiJuan's gut instinct or the suspicious glaze in Viper's sapphire blue eyes that told her the truth. The snake was lying.

"Yeah, sure," LiJuan replied as cheerfully as she could. But once they reached the Sacred Hall of Heroes, the tension in LiJuan's stomach only seemed to thicken by the second.

Po approached Master Shifu and whispered something in his huge saucer ears. The red panda gave a slight nod, and was about to send for their messenger, Zeng, when a velvety voice spoke from behind him.

"Am I late?"

Shifu fought the urge to chuckle at him forgetting his guest's fortune skills. He turned to the ancient goat and bowed. "_Huan ying, huan ying, (Welcome) _Soothsayer. I trust that you recognize my students."

The Soothsayer bowed and ginned fondly at the warriors. "Indeed, Master Shifu. However, I fear that I've only met this child once." She waved her bent cane in LiJuan's direction.

The seven warriors gave her a confused look, and LiJuan squinted her eyes. "I'm sorry, but I don't think I've-"

"Do you still have that elixir I gave you, dear?"

LiJuan's eyes widened at the Soothsayer, remembering the tiny glasses, the bent back, and her honeyed grin.

"What are you doing here?" When Po gave her a look of disbelief, LiJuan flushed. "I-I mean, it's just that, well, it's a long trip from her to Gosh man, _Gongmen _city! Heh!"

If the Soothsayer was offended even slightly by her comments, she didn't show it. She just stroked her long, silvery white beard and chuckled. "She's a clever one."

Then, the Soothsayer took out smooth, gleaming grey bowl that had several carved symbols. in her multicolored robes, she took out a thin bottle of fiery red- looking powder and another thicker bottle that held an expensive yellow crystal. And to LiJuan's shock, she roughly threw both bottles in the tiny bowl.

"That's gotta cost something-AH!" Moaning, gloomy steam rose from the Soothsayer's bowl and interrupted the female panda.

"A clever and good-natured panda," the Soothsayer smiled beneath her work. But then, her face turned stony in the shadows. "But I'm afraid that her destiny will probably remain the same, Dragon Warrior."

Po shifted under his twin sister's questioning stare."J-Just check to make sure. alright?"

The wise goat nodded, and resumed to the misty shape of a panda that was now forming in the mist.

_In an unknown and alternate location….._

_"_And you're sure that this being is the key to my glory?"

"Absolutely, my proud little prince."

"_Lord,_" the hooded creature clarified.

"Yeah whatever," the louder creature snapped, while subconsciously stroking his harry red beard. "Remember; I've sent the required deities that match these fool's souls precisely from their styles and traits. Once that silly child does as we've planned from their silly restraints, your little friend will be stripped from his powers, memory, and you'll rule over the earth lands without a doubt!" He took a moment to grin sinisterly at his servant. "Of course, because you gave you and your soldiers lives to me, how could I have resisted?"

His servant mirrored his grin and took off his hood, revealing a set of piercing blood red eyes. "What about the renegade snow leopard and his new catty girlfriend?"

"They'll join the others in your plan. Just have the child fail at the task of retrieving the Dragon Warrior before the seventh hour of morning, and you'll be free without his shadow."

"And if all is lost?"

The death deity glared at the diabolical peacock with disdain and foreshadowed pain and hatred. "Then you'll be forced to take that panda's place." But before the peacock could exit the room, the deity chuckled evilly.

"But I promise you. This panda is exactly who you're looking for."

"Thank you, my king." And with an evil but graceful aura, the peacock sprung out his red and white feathers and flew out of sake.

"Oops!" The death deity gasped in mocked shock with big, menacing white eyes. "I forgot to warn the birdie about his heart. Oh, poor birdie! i guess he's doomed to fail!" He cackled evilly, and soon thousands of scrawny trickster dwarfs around his bony throne joined him in his wicked laughter fest.


	3. What's said is said

A twist in the legends

_"'Say your right words', the goblins said. And we'll take the baby to the Goblin City, and you will be free."- Quote from Sara in "The Labyrinth" movie_

_Back at the Jade Palace…._

In the Sacred Hall of warriors, our strange story resumes to the misty oracle from the Soothsayer. The strong, cherry scented mist surrounded the broken silver bowl, and oozed around the Furious Five. The previous panda shape was fighting another misty figure that gave out bloodthirsty calls of revenge for all Kung Fu warriors.

"If this child does not receive her destiny as a master, a new threat will be brought on the spirit of Kung Fu itself," the wise goat warned with a worried glaze in her honey brown eyes. And after her words were said, the carnation pink characters in the mist dissolved into thin, tense air.

"I've said this before, Soothsayer." Master Shifu cleared his throat warily. "But forgive me if you are offended, but this prediction you've made is terribly unrealistic. LiJuan isn't a huge target-"

"Ahem," Po coughed, while grinning teasingly at his twin sister.

"You're one to talk, beanbag!" LiJuan roughly punched him in the gut.

"Oomph," Po groaned in pain. "Alright, you're a beanstalk!"

"Po, LJ, please!" Tigress growled at the two pandas. She couldn't believe that they were acting so childish. Sure, the legendary arts and lifestyle of Kung Fu wasn't a world that they both were most devoted to, especially when it came to LJ. Yet, the master of tiger style was still shocked that they were acting, so, so carefree!

"Sorry, Tigress." Po's smile soon turned into a concerned frown. That transformation even surprised Tigress, who knew how rare it was for her humorous companion to hold a serious face. "So, what's the story now? Is LJ in that much danger?"

The Soothsayer scooped up her supplies and smoothed her multicolored robe. "Panda, your sister will probably be the least likely to be harmed physically," she clarified. "I'm afraid that the chain that holds this future will cause mental torment to its navigators."

"Navigators?" Po's jade eyes narrowed in confusion.

"Before one receives his or her destiny," she continued. "-He or she must search for the solutions of his or her obstacles."

"But, ma'am." Crane approached the Soothsayer with nervous steps. "It's somewhat strange in the tradition of Kung Fu to suddenly start pointing fingers at who's the main source of the whole picture. Don't' you agree?"

"Indeed," the Soothsayer nodded with a knowing smirk. "It seems as if it was an _accident._ Don't _you_ agree, Master Shifu?"

The red panda master locked eyes with the Soothsayer and dropped the unconvinced expression. She had a point; this was similar to Po's, or even his dilemma when the Dragon Warrior was brought by destiny. Po was chosen before he even knew the right attacks, styles, and attitude of a Kung Fu master. But at the same time, her brother was and still is a major fan of Kung Fu. Of course, Po's sister seemed amused by the difficult attacks and techniques presented during fights. Yet, he wondered if she'd be able to take it _all_ in, every last drop.

For a slight second, Shifu's sky blue eyes found LiJuan's soft, oceanic eyes. He didn't want to admit it, yet he was worried about her safety. True, she wasn't his student. But that itself made her somehow stand out from his young team of masters. And even if she could be impatient, hot-tempered, and just as wacky as her bodacious brother, the girl was far more considerate than many of the women Shifu had met and known in his life.

"Master." Shifu's thoughts ended at the sound of his adoptive daughter's worried voice. "What do you suggest we do?"

The red panda master trained his stern eyes on his students. "We'll train her."

"Um, sorry." Po titled his head and stared at Shifu as if he'd gone nuts. "I don't think I heard all that. Could you repeat it?"

"PO," Tigress snapped in irritation. "We _have_ to train her."

"But-But," Po stammered and looked at LiJuan. "She could get hurt."

"Um, Po? I'm right over here." She waved a fluffy black arm for emphasis. "And I'm sure that I can-"

"-Po," Tigress interrupted LiJuan. Her amber eyes began to darken. "We know that you're worried. Yet I think Master Shifu doesn't have to explain to you how significant the situation is."

"Guys?"

"She could be wrong." Po suddenly glared at Tigress. "Forgive me Soothsayer, but predictions have been proven to be false."

"But what about Gongmen City, Po?" LiJuan's eyes locked with her brother's. "When she predicted that Lord Shen would be defeated by you, the warrior of black and white?"

"LJ, I know that."

"Than why question now?" She suddenly began to feel as angry as Tigress was before. "You don't think I have what it takes?"

Everyone in the hall stared at the two pandas in painful silence. Po hung his head in guilt, and LiJuan's eyes grew dewey.

"So _that's_ it, huh? Just because a few simple incidents of you saving my butt? Well then, I guess I better leave matters in your own hands, almighty _Dragon Warrior_." She bowed mockingly low and ran to the exit.

"NO! LJ!" Po bowed to the Soothsayer, gave his stunned friends and master an apologetic glance, and dashed after her.

"Okay then." Mantis hopped off of Crane's shoulder and next to Viper. "_That_ is why I never have kept in contact with my siblings." Everyone gave the insect a look that sewed his mouth shut.

"Hm," Shifu's thoughts drew to the exchange the pandas had earlier. He wondered what the backbone of LiJuan's words were over a 'few incidents.' It seemed very possible that they occurred when she was in trouble in the Valley. But when Shifu put the thought into place, he knew that she'd _never_ had to be saved by the Furious Five. It was either what he assumed was luck or natural defense.

"Master? What about the villagers in their festivities," Monkey asked.

"We might as well head down to the festival," Shifu responded. And with that, the six masters exited the hall in silence.

The Soothsayer smiled sympathetically and exited soon as well. She may not know everything, but the red panda master was not one to hide his obvious concern.

_At the steps of the Jade Palace…._

LiJuan was panting and sweating, while trying to escape Po. It wasn't an easy task, trying to run away from your Kung Fu master of a brother and wear an expensive dress with delicate shoes.

"Just leave me alone, Po! That's all I ask!"

"Please, listen! I'm really, really sorry!"

"That doesn't pay for these shoes!"

"What?"

She huffed impatiently at his ignorance and turned to him with her hands at her hips. "Just because I was the weaker child and am a girl doesn't mean that I don't have what it takes to train with you."

"LJ, you could be my brother and I still feel the same way. You were practically on the verge of-"

"But I didn't, okay?" She always hated to speak about the time when their dad found them in the radish basket. And she, always being the weaker twin to Po and her father's view, was bruised and breathing dangerously slow.

"I don't want it to happen again!"

"It never has happened again! You just refuse to believe it. For crying out loud, you're just like Baba! With one bruise or scar, I can't' play outside or hang out with my friends. It was always and forever in the kitchen! You, on the other hand, were stronger and' so much' better suited." LiJuan gave out a humorless laugh. "I'd like to witness the one day you'll know how I feel, you, you _feipang shou (obese beast)", _LiJuan insulted.

Po took a step back in fear, knowing that his twin sister only spoke that way when she was really enraged. Yet when he remembered why he was here, his fears soon dissolved once he flipped over her.

"WHAT?" LiJuan stared at the now stern Po in astonishment. "How'd you do that?"

"Master Shifu," Po replied shyly. But then, he gave her a pleading look. "LJ, Baba and I care about about you a lot. And I can't risk letting you get hurt in all this mess, whether Kung Fu ends or not."

For a moment, LiJuan admired Po for being so bold and loved that he cared about her so much. Yet, she just had to try.

"Please, Po. Let me train. I promise you that nothing bad's going to happen to me."

Po really wanted to believe his twin sister, but he just couldn't erase the memories of staring at her as a youngster. In fact, Po could almost hear her infant wails in pain from the endless shots she received, see the tears that welled in their father's eyes, and relive the recurring nightmares about his sister's closed eyes and hushed breath.

"No, LiJuan."

"Po,-"

"NO, LIJUAN!" Po's yelling could be heard from the valley below. "YOU WON'T!"

LiJuan felt a sob escape her throat. Her vision began to blur with thick, salty tears that fell on her neckline and dress. But she only stared at Po in anger and sadness. "I never want to deal with your paranoid self AGAIN!" She took off before her brother had the chance to react.

Suddenly, a small sheet of scroll paper slammed into her face. The female panda was about to rip the piece of garbage to shreds when a drawing caught her eye. It was a character she created as a child, the _Hong se mu di _(Red eye emperor.) She'd been receiving dreams of a skinny, agile warrior with a frightening blade but also a welcoming smirk. He always seemed drawn to the hour of dawn, and her dreams would consist of an unnamed festival with memorable lanterns LiJuan named him this because one; she was pretty sure that the guy was a guy, and two; he always appeared to be near a strange red eye symbol. The symbol alone reminded her of her parents, whom she never knew. LiJuan began to wonder if Po knew anything about their parents.

But the more LiJuan thought of her brother and her dreams, the more she wanted to insult him in a sense that she would be satisfied with his confusion and guilt.

"I wish the Hong se mu di would take you," LiJuan hissed with her back still turned to him. "Away from me."

Suddenly, LiJuan's surroundings fell completely silent and still. The evening skies began to darken at an oddly quick pace, the clouds began to thicken, the trees began to pause from their swaying, and not a sound was heard from the once noisy village below.

"Po," she turned to find he wasn't there and swallowed a lump in her throat. "Quit your jokes, fuzz head. I mean it! Po?" She raced up the stairs of the Jade Palace, assuming that he'd probably be there.

On the way, LiJuan couldn't help but hear the obnoxious and yet scary sounds of cackling near her. They weren't truly evil but had a mischievous ring to them. She also began to sweat from the unbearable silence. Where _was _everybody?

Once LiJuan reached the Sacred Hall of Warriors, she began to grow weary at the sight before her. Before, the hall was elegant, held an aura of pride, and had many legendary artifacts of Kung Fu warriors that her brother went head over heels for. Now, the Sacred Hall of Warriors was more like the Sympathetic Hall of Wrecks. The room was grey, held dust clouds that made LiJuan sneeze, and missed its artifacts.

"Boy if _Po_ saw this, he'd-PO! WHERE ARE YOU?"

She was about to continue her search when a weak but graceful breeze of peach blossoms flew around her feet. LiJuan could've almost sworn that tit was somehow_ beckoning_ her. Then, the breeze lead her to the Dragon Scroll's place. The pool beneath it reeked as if was used as a bathroom and was a rotten shade of dark brown. Gulping her disgust and reluctance, LiJuan forced herself to look above her. The golden dragon statue and scroll that she glanced at not ten minutes ago were gone, as if they were never there.

"PO!" Okay, maybe insulting her brother was not something she should do in the future. "TIGRESS! MONKEY! VIPER! MANTIS! CRANE!" Every time she looked in a new setting, the front yard, the barracks, the kitchen, the training room, the many stairs, the Sacred Peach Tree, the Pool of Sacred Tears, even the village, her shouts only increased in volume and desperation.

But once she reached the Dragon Ghotto, LiJuan slumped and stared at the headless dragon statue above her. "Master Shifu," she sobbed. "Help me, anybody."

The Dragon Ghotto abruptly collapsed without a warning. Miraculously, LiJuan leapt out a split second before the cave crumbled in a heap. Above the ruined mountain of rubble, the peculiar sound of piercing iron reached her tiny ears.

"Greetings." A thin, pale peacock in silver and red robes appeared near LiJuan. "I suppose you're 'LiJuan?'"

"Yeah," LiJuan replied, while subconsciously wiping some stray tears from her face. "Who are you?"

"I believe that you know the answer to that."

"I don't-" But once the albino peacock revealed his silky but strange red and white feathers, the pieces of the picture fell into place. LiJuan's mind went back to her dreams and to her parents.

"The Hong se mu di," she wondered out loud and in awe. "But, you're just a figment of a dream. And…" It all began to make sense under his knowing stare and the wish she'd made. "I want my brother, Po, back. Please, he's needed."

The peacock smirked deviously. "i'm afraid that you're wish cannot be taken back."

"But, I didn't mean it.. because it's _not _real."

He chuckled humorously, brought her to her knees with one swish of his feathers, and leaned into her right ear. "It's as real as it gets," he whispered darkly. "Forget about your worthless brother, LiJuan. Go back to being a real master and rising above those arrogant dead ones. Live the life you've always wanted."

LiJuan shivered at his words. As tempting as it sounded, images of her brother's cheerful and kind face began to play in her mind. She couldn't just ignore her only brother.

"I can't, ever."

He twirled his reflective sword and a dangling pendant soon appeared at its point. "By the way, you forgot your gift."

LiJuan peered at the teal blue pendant. "A pendant?" Her eyes widened at him and the gift. "You were there! In Gongmen city!"

"Yes, yes I was."

The peacock smirked once more and twirled it around her face.

"This gives any being the strength and wits of a thousand masters," he informed her. When he received a doubtful look, the pendant glowed and somehow sent him and LiJuan to the Sacred Pool of Tears in a flash.

"How," LiJuan breathed, while trembling under the peacock's wicked chuckling.

"Did I mention speed, as well? But moving on, it doesn't belong to a girl who simply watches a smug panda for a brother from the sidelines." He withdrew the pendant to her, which continued glowing temptingly. "Do you desire it?"

Not only was the necklace tempting, but the peacock's blood red gaze sent oddly comfortable shivers down her spine. The guy was creepy and kind of psychotic looking in LiJuan's view. But at the same time, he was also truly a handsome bird that she couldn't take her eyes off. Plus, this peacock seemed able to read her like an open book. Did she really want to waste her time running after a brother that thinks of her as a weak little sister?

"I appreciate what you're giving me," LiJuan heard herself reply hesitantly. "But I want, no, _need_ Po back."

Seething with anger, the peacock aimed his blade at her heart-shaped nose.

"What is this," she whispered fearfully.

"A Guan Dao flame-bladed sword." He narrowed his gaze. "Don't defy your emperor and lord, LiJuan. It'd be a pity to end your life like I've happily done to those other wretched fools once called 'masters'."

"WHAT?" Her face suddenly grew hot with determination. "That's it, you coward! I'm retrieving Po and you can't stop me!"

Her enemy chuckled mockingly and a fester of demonic wolves joined in from behind her. "You're no match for me, and you _know_ it!"

"But I_ have_ to have him back _with _the masters."

He turned to a far away and now present city. "He's at the top of my palace in Gongmen City."

LiJuan peered at the gleaming city, which seemed to be the only glowing building from where they stood. To her amazement, the palace in Gongmen she once visited was now three times bigger and somewhat closer.

"Great," she hissed to herself. "More stairs."

"And need I remind you that I have many powerful friends at my side that will try to end your journey with no mercy."

"I'm going to find him," LiJuan declared with determination, even when doubt clouded her thoughts. "Besides, it doesn't look _too_ far away now."

The peacock emperor glided to the highest boulder. "It's further than you assume. You have until the sun rises at the seventh hour of the next day before your brother, the Dragon Warrior, dissolves from life itself forever." LiJuan noticed that he began to strangely vanish from the scene. "How tragically wonderful," the peacock teased before before he was gone.

The creepy wolves' aura disappeared with him, and LiJuan was once again left in the now gray Valley of Peace.


	4. Dance Magic Dance

A twist in the legends

_"Things aren't always what they seem in this place. So, you can't take anything for granted."- Quote from the Worm in 'The Labyrinth' movie_

_In a demolished village…._

LiJuan's scowled at how much grief her shoes were giving her in this whole load of bogus. When she sat on a ruined and decaying table to remove her shoes, she found four huge, burning blisters on her feet.

"At least I know what I'm going to do after this little trip is over." She threw the worthless shoes in a nearby polluted river and watched them sink into the gunk.

"Run _without _party shoes." LiJuan resumed to her search and ran down the abandoned village streets.

_Fifteen minutes later…._

the poor panda didn't know where the heck she was.

Well, she knew she wasn't in the valley nor in Gongmen. Yet, LiJuan didn't even know if she was heading in the wrong direction! Was_ no one else_ even here in this disorderly wreck of a world? It was actually kind of ironic that a panda like LiJuan, who sometimes favored fantasy more than reality, to search for a realistic being in a fantasy world like this.

"Hello? HELLO! IS ANYBODY-"

"SHUT UP!"

LiJuan whirled in the direction of the deep voice, startled and insulted. She somehow was able to meet the culprit; a small raccoon napping in a basket.

"Excuse me-"

"Where can a red panda find peace and quiet? I'm trying to sleep!"

"Well, sorry. It's just that you're the only guy I can find in this dump."

But then, LiJuan saw the face of this 'raccoon.' She couldn't believe what she saw. He had the same scowl on his face, the same weird noodle-structured beard, the same wrinkles, the same completion, and the same blue eyes.

"Shifu? Master Shifu?"

He gave her a look that spelled 'f-r-e-a-k,' and slowly walked in the opposite direction.

"Wait! Master-"

"Look, Ms. Pudgy, " he snapped with a cold frown. "Just leave a guy at his peace and his empty stomach."

As he continued his search for food, LiJuan just stared at him, unsure of what to do. "Well," she continued, ignoring his scowl. "One thing's for sure; you're_ nothing_ like Shifu. What's your name?"

"And you're nothing like anybody I want to meet in the future," he giggled. "Name's Tao. Who're you?"

"LiJuan."

" Wonderful! And now I leave you, _Nushi hanchou, _(Miss body odor.)"

"Nice comeback, you _Kezeng li, (_Disgusting raccoon dog.)"

"I'm a red panda!"

"Geez, you're an ill one to talk to! Oh well, do you have a map or something I can borrow?"

"What for?"

"Take a guess," she challenged.

"I don't have time for you!"

LiJuan sighed in brief defeat. But then, she decided that for the sake of time and her not so healthy looking feet, she should spill the whole platter. "Look, I only have about, um, roughly a day to save my brother from-"

"Big deal! I saved my lunch in fifteen minutes!" (Don't ask.)

"Yeah, but did you have to travel to _bloody Gongmen City?"_

Tao shrugged aimlessly. "You got me there, Lee June."

_"LiJuan."_

_"_Yeah whatever." The red panda resumed on his path, unaware that LiJuan abandoned him to find Po on another path.

_At the top of Gongmen palace…._

The Soothsayer resumed to her quarters after the many failed attempts of trying to restore memories. Since she was the only alive being that her 'lord' seemed to have taken pity on, her memories were left untouched. Although, it didn't help with her emotions. The goat may have been very wise, yet she would've never even thought that this banished peacock prince would be one to escape death and rule over all of China right after! Links to this chain reaction were still invisible for the Soothsayer, and she believed that it must be a topic to immediately be discussed.

As if on cue, Lord Shen entered the throne room, with a triumphant look on his face.

"I'm sure that you have many questions. Yet, I'm afraid that limitations to what you should and should not know are in order."

The Soothsayer rose off her quilted bed with ease, grabbed her cane, and used it to hit his rib cage.

"OW! What was the purpose of that, you old goat? Do you not realize that I now have the power to erase your memories?"

She smiled nonetheless at him, knowing how easy it was to bother him. He may be the ruler of China, but she was once his nanny for goodness sake!

"Forgive me. I'm afraid that I had to check and see if you were alive to the flesh. From what I know, the god of the dead gives you a second life, which I now know you possess, but with the cost of a costly fee. And what exactly did you give him, my 'lord?'"

Lord Shen regarded her question with cold eyes, feeling a reluctant twinge of hesitance in answering her question. "My-my life in his hands for servitude,as-as well as the wolf army."

He may not have noticed it, but the Soothsayer saw a hint of guilt in the peacock prince's red eyes. She took a moment of silence for his sake. However, it was short lived when he noticed her starting a glared at her evilly. "What are you staring at?"

"Do you regret the payment you were forced to make?"

"Of COURSE NOT!" He couldn't believe how naive this supposedly 'wise' old goat was being. Did she really think that he still had a heart for those insolent fools in one pathetic army?

"It's just that they were your closest friends in the palace-"

"Silence! Why are you here?"

The Soothsayer ducked her head when controlling her giggles. "How can I say when you wanted me to stay silent, my 'lord?'"

Lord Shen suddenly heard giggles coming from the trouble making demonic wolves around them. Some were swinging through the hanging fabrics, others were making a mess in the kitchen, and many were sprawled out on the floor in groups. If someone were to walk into the top room right now, he or she would've believed this place was a wolf nut house for hormonal wolves. Sadly, this was the peacock prince's new army, the one that Yama (god of the dead) forced Lord Shen to lead.

"SILENCE!" Lord Shen yelling made every last animal in the whole entire palace hold their tongue into place, except for the giggling Soothsayer.

"Then I can guess that this army is-"

"Oh will you now just-"

"Lord Shen!" The peacock prince and the Soothsayer turned to his new messenger, a goose that looked like a replica of Zeng from the Jade Palace. "The panda-the Dragon Warrior, he's here and in the hands of the army."

Lord Shen smiled sadistically and let out a laugh after glancing at the Soothsayer's surprised face. "Send him in then!"

The goose messenger bowed and flapped to resume to his place at the first floor. Once he left, the stairs echoed with the strange sound of laughter and…cooing.

To the Soothsayer and Lord Shen's shock, the small group of demonic wolves jumped all over Lord Shen in fear.

Get OFF me," Lord Shen shouted from underneath the smelly pack.

"Our apologies," one wolf with a missing eye squeaked.

"Lord Shen, that baby is a terrifying monster!"

Lord Shen's eyes widened in curiosity. "DId you say, 'baby?'

"Ooh, nana! Heh!" Seven eyes boggled at the sight of the adorable, jade-eyed baby panda, who began to laugh in glee while sucking his huge black thumbs.

The Soothsayer fought the now stronger urge to chuckle once more when she went up to the dangerously still Shen. "A baby Dragon Warrior? Well, that's new."

"But I wanted to defeat him AS A WARRIOR!" The psychotic peacock gripped one of his feather designed throwing knives in frustration. But then with one look at the smiling baby Po, Lord Shen was smiling moronically again.

"Very well then. I guess it'll make it easier to end your little life, my chubby friend. All that your sister has to do now is fail and China will be mine!"

"Yes, but what about after?"

The albino peacock whirled to the calm goat. "What was that?"

"After you win," the Soothsayer clarified. "What will happen next?"

"He'll be dead." He pointed his knife at the enthusiastic baby. "And Kung Fu will die with him, what do you think?"

"I think you're missing a very important person."

"Who?"

The Soothsayer rolled her honey brown eyes. "His sister. What will become of _he_r? Will she die-"

"She's** not** going to die," Lord Shen spat out but quickly shut his mouth, when he caught her grin. "She's not a warrior; she's not worth my time in defeating." He began to examine his knives for spots. "She'll..surrender! Yes…Yes!"

"Anything else?" The wise goat gave him a look that obviously declared, 'I know something you don't know.'

"Just like Yama has told me; She will fail and again, Kung Fu will die!" He cackled wickedly at the thought.

Rising on her bent cane, her look didn't waver. "It's strange; she's a panda that's not a warrior and should be in a lower class. Shen, why is it that you're sparing this one life in your way?"

He stomped right up to his ex-nanny and glared at her face to face. "Don't waste my time with your games," he snarled. "You're dismissed."

But before the Soothsayer could exit, baby Po crawled up behind him a pulled out several of his delicate feather from his neck.

"OW! YOU FOUL BRAT!"

_Back to our heroine…._

"Alright then. What's your name again?"

"Jian," the beanstalk green Mantis replied from the spot on her left shoulder. It may have been just LiJuan, but this mantis could seriously pass for Master Mantis is if wasn't for his wavered manners, odd messenger clothing, and lighter completion.

"And you _used_ to work as a messenger at Gongmen City," she guessed. How else would he have given her a map?

Jian paused, but then casually sat on her fluffy shoulder. "Yup, because that mad bird of a ruler took my wife."

"i'll be glad to hear if you'll let me continue my search."

"Naw." Jian hopped off her shoulder with a sour face. "It's a really boring story-"

"Please? How am I supposed to know that you're honest?"

Jian frowned sadly, yet hopped back on her shoulder to start his story.

"I was just your average looker and messenger serving the emperor now just so I can get food on my plate and a place to sleep."

_In Mantis' mind…_

_He was delivering a message to the masters on the East Asian coast about his plans. But then, someone brushed in his path. _

_"Sorry," a feminine voice shouted. He didn't hear any footsteps. Yet when he saw the creature's face, his copper eyes immediately widened._

"She was the most beautiful snake, no, animal and being that I've ever known," Jian remembered with a dreamy face. "Her eyes held the skies on bright days, and she made me heart have a serious heartburn."

"And then what," LiJuan asked earnestly. The story began to sound strangely familiar to the female panda.

"Well, we started the dating stage. Sooner or later, it was followed by a ring weeks later. I mean, she was like a goddess." The tiny insect paused, playing the painful and yet so wonderful memories of his snake wife in his mind. "But sometimes, fate really bites your head off. It turns out that my Shu Qing was totally out of my league as a goddess, the white snake."

"Wait, why's that so bad?"

To her surprise, Jian gave her a look that held more seriousness and loss than she would've never thought that Master Mantis would hold. "The emperor locked her up in his deepest prison, and I never was able to see or talk to her again. He claimed that she was too powerful to control during his plans."

"That, that evil little-"

"Hey, doll!" Jian's joking grin returned to his face. "Don't get all steamy! You'll loose your charm. And believe me, I've seen it happen!"

LiJuan's grin mirrored his, and she shook one of his legs. "Thanks. Man-Jian," she corrected herself. "If I win this game, I'm getting your wife back."

"Yeah okay." He replied, not believing that she could do it. "By the way," he called out as she ran off. "What's your name?"

"LiJuan!" And with that, the female panda disappeared into the eastern mountains.

Her name made the poor insect froze and drop his jaw. "I'm dead," he mumbled.

**Tao- (the way)**

**Jian-(****strong, indefatigable)**

**Shu Qing- (pure, virtuous sky blue)**

**Jie and Shu Qing's story is based on the Legend of the White Snake, if anyone is curious.**


	5. Piece of cake

A twist in the legends

_"That's not fair!"-Sara_

_"You say that so often. I wonder what your basis of comparison is."- Jareth_

_Quotes from "The Labyrinth"_

Our heroine was beaming with satisfaction. Thanks to Jian's map, LiJuan predicted that she had only six hours left of jogging and stopping twice until she reached Gongmen city. And the best part of the theory was, an hour hadn't even passed yet on this fine evening! The girl was on easy street, so who needed fancy footwear?

LiJuan reached a high, mammoth brick wall that not even Tigress or Shifu could've climbed or jumped over. It was splattered with messy grey paints, and covered with thick, thorny vines that's pricks shined in the daytime like swords. But what made LiJuan want to yelp was the fact that the wall was guarded by two very creepy and ominous looking figures.

"Excuse me," LiJuan squeaked at the two yellow-eyed guards. To her disappointment, they didn't even look up. In fact, they were so very close to each other as if they were-

"WHO GOES THERE?"

LiJuan whirled to the source of the squawk, a fierce, gorgeous grey owl wearing a golden trimmed, deep violet robe. She soared through the depressing clouds before clawing the poor female panda with vicious talons.

"Who are you bear," the mysterious owl narrowed her purple eyes at LiJuan's awestruck face.

Gaining her composure, LiJuan stared at the owl. "I'm LiJuan. Forgive me, I just need to get to Gongmen-"

The stunning owl abruptly released her and bowed lowly. "Oh, no dear. It is truly _m_y fault for coming in so rudely. My name is FengHuang, and I'd be happy to serve you, your ladyship."

LiJuan blushed at the decree and promptly shook her soft head. "Oh no, I'm not a-um, warrior or anything special like that. You probably have the wrong, chick, ma'am-"

"LEOPARDS!" Fenghuang yelled to the two shadowed figures LiJuan had once witnessed. "GET YOUR TAILS OVER HERE! We have a guest…."

She trained her sharp owl eyes on LiJuan's ruined kimono. Turning redder by the second, LiJuan cleared her throat. "Um, I've been on a long journey-"

"You have the most _beautifu_l pair of eyes I've ever seen!" Fenghuang cocked her head, showing envy but also pride in her intense gaze. "You truly are the prettiest of all pandas."

"Thank you. But I really need to get to-"

"Welcome, princess." LiJuan's jaw dropped at the snow leopard behind her. She usually didn't think about looks when it came to other people, yet this cat was HOT! Come on! When was the last time that you'd witness a six-packed, physically fit, snow leopard with a deep voice walking down the streets or guarding creepy walls?

"I hope that we didn't startle you," he continued with a purr and predatory smile.

"Uh, no. Sorry, yup hum, it's all jolly, thanks!" 'And I couldn't have said anything more STUPIDER,' LiJuan inwardly screamed, while mentally slapping herself.

But to her relief, he and Fenghuang just gave knowing but wicked grins to each other. "My dear," the owl pressed. "Do you not recognize us?"

"Um, no. Should I?"

"Actually, it'd be better _without _you knowing," a feminine voice replied. The third being was an attractive, well-toned leopard with one gleaming yellow eye and a glazed light blue eye. "I can assure you that you know us well enough."

"Thanks, I guess." LiJuan still felt unsure around this trio, especially the male clouded leopard. She could've sworn-

"Don't linger for the bate to be bitten when another has already casts its line, sweetie." The stunning leopard slinked her arm around the clouded leopard's shoulders, and LiJuan flushed at his wink.

"Look, I'm sorry for staring at your boyfriend. He just-" Suddenly, LiJuan saw flashes of a terrorizing cat that destroyed the valley and scared her father for life. How could she be so reckless? This traitor almost killed Po, whom she was trying to rescue!

"Tai Lung," she hissed.

Both Tai Lung and his tramp of a girl flashed wicked looks at her, and flipped her to her side.

"So it took you that long to find out?" The female leopard roughly kicked her rib cage, flipped her in the air, and punched her into a nearby bamboo garden.

With one black eye and a painful right side, LiJuan stood with pride to calm her injuries.

Tai Lung laughed at her attempt to stand tall and tripped her aimlessly with his tail. "Is that the best you can do, Li? Man, Su Wu. This panda will be easier to defeat than her wimpy brother!"

But to his shock, the panda punched him back with an equal amount of force. "Say that again, you rotten tool! No one calls my brother 'wimpy' except me!"

Su Wu hissed at LiJuan and attacked her with released claws. Luckily, her opponent snatched a thick piece of bamboo to shield from the claws and kicks. It was one of the treasured tricks that she'd learn from the masters back at the Jade Palace. This one came from Monkey, who taught her how to swing the stick at all the angles of her body.

"It helps with adaptations," he added while teaching her. "Like tails, teeth, and even size." And at this moment, LiJuan was pretty sure that the claws of this furious leopard counted as an adaptation.

"Since my leader wants you alive," she snarled. "We'll give you a simple riddle. And if you guess it right-" she dodged LiJuan's punches with ease. "You'll be free to pass the wall."

"And if I don't?"

Suddenly, FengHuang appeared on the scene and once more pinned LiJuan to the ground with her talons.

"You'll visit your death bed," she whispered with an evil smile.

LiJuan didn't like the sound of this kind of bed. So, she did what she did best; improvised. "Okay, so shoot and we'll see who get's the discount."

While Fenghuang was still keeping her on the ground with sharp, painful talons, Tai Lung and his partner placed their feet one her stomach.

"What's my name, fatso?"

LiJuan didn't know whether to laugh at the worthless riddle or yell at them for heir taunts. "Your name," she repeated. "Can I have a guess?"

"Alright, it's a girl's name."

"Yeah, and thanks for the stating the obvious! Wait! Aren't you that criminal feline with the two sisters and the weird looking case thingy-"

"GET TO THE ANSWER," she yelled impatiently and harshly.

"OH! PO knew THIS! Where is that fuzz head when I NEED HIM? Uh…. Suzan?"

But when the three villains smiled wickedly at her in response, LiJuan's face began to pale. "NO, wait, wait! What about Sonya?"

The two felines grabbed her large arms, as the owl snatched her by the feet. "Wait, please! Yin Si? What about Su- Su-"

The leopard clawed her in the face, leaving a hideous gash on her right white cheek. 'Time's up, fatso! And remember-"

The three threw her in a deep, dark, freezing pit and chuckled. **"IT"S SU WU!"**

"DAD! PO!" The female panda fell for what seemed like nine-hundred feet underground, and it was tragically endless. There was not a source of life through the fall or even from where she crashed. It was nothing but darkness and ominous silence, if you didn't count her twitting and short breaths.

"Me and my big mouth," LiJuan whispered to herself from her place in the depths.

_At the top of Gongmen city…._

Shen peered at his enemy, the navigator, through his now magical feather sword. "She's in the Decaying pit of the Chen village," he mumbled to his soldiers. But before they could speak, Lord Shen scowled irritably.

"And she's now still searching! After my servants have disposed of her in one of the most pitiful places imagines, she still has the stupid will to continue. She should've surrendered by now…."

"i'm afraid that that's impossible," the Soothsayer pointed out. Her knowing smile made the peacock wince involuntarily. "She'll never give up."

Lord Shen stood up, lifted his head in pride, and grinned moronically. "Then I will send for the fox to send her back to the start where she'll give up from there!" Shen cackled a very long time, before staring at his ignorant soldiers. "Well, don't just stand there! Get back TO WORK!"

Back to our heroine….

"Who's there? I have good, uh, strength, and I'm not afraid to test it out!"

"Ooh, I'm shaking," a moaning voice taunted in the darkness. Then out of the blue, a waxy candle was lit. The weak figure was held in thick, silvery chains and accompanied by three piles of chained bones.

"I'm Geming," the avian introduced himself with a grunt. "And welcome to the Decaying pit, where life couldn't be any more lifeless!"

She suddenly felt dizzy from witnessing all these familiar faces but different personalities. Sure, this crane looks like the limb-tight, agile, dorky but sweet Master Crane she once learned Calligraphy from. But in all, his personality in the depths perfectly opposed Crane's careful and willful personality.

"We need to get out of here."

"I'd love to help, but look around you."

"Look Geming, I'm not just going to give up easily like your little skinny friends did in the past. Because in the end, they ended up dead and decaying with the cowards. Understand?"

The avian gave her a sympathetic smile and shrugged as she snatched his candle. "You've got guts, and with guts come flies and an awful stench, um…."

"LiJuan."

But then, she noticed that he promptly paused and dropped his beak at her in shock. "You…oh, no…."

"What? I'm me yes, deluxe edition. What's it to _you_?"

"You're the navigator, the present and last rebel of Lord Shen," Geming gasped. And after removing his straw hat, he bowed with respect.

"Strange," she mumbled. "That goat lady had…" LiJuan's mind then played the elderly goat's warning to her brother earlier that evening. _"I'm afraid that the chain that holds this future will cause mental torment to its navigators,"_ she had said. But what came with this tiresome job? A kidnapped brother, a creepy enemy, or sassy felines tackling her into underground pits along the way?

"Geming." LiJuan snapped out of her thoughts and peered at the avian. "Buddy, answers are in order with this whole messy maze plate. I've been tricked, questioned, tempted, and thrown into a pit that reeks like last year's broth. I'm not really in the mood for another scheme, so be a dear and answer this honestly. What in the name of my _lipid fat_ is a navigator in this messed up world?"

He stared at her with amazement of how peculiar her request was. "The legendary Soothsayer has recently predicted that a being from another universe will defeat our present peacock ruler, rescue what she has lost, and be known as 'The Navigator.' Personally, I thought the goat just had a grudge and tried to stir up mischief. Yet after hearing who this person's name was from her and meeting you,…. I know that you're the navigator, the one that will rise above him."

"Wait, wait, wait." The two had suddenly found an opening at the side of the pit and crawled in search of an aboveground entrance. "I suppose that you're against the bird."

"Against? He's terrorized dozens of villages, preserved villains and bandits, and ignores his people. And to say that he'll soon take over _China_, I'm in on a rebel path."

LiJuan's coal black fur was now drenched from the excessive heat in the tunnel. She wiped a hand at her brow. "So, what you're saying is that I not only have to get my bro back, but save China because _no one else has_?"

Once they reached a hall with thriving vines, they both knew they were closer to the surface.

Geming scowled at her question. "Don't think that we rebels, or preferably, we masters, haven't attempted to stop this chaotic plan. But with his monstrous army, cannons, and power, how would you be able to fight the guy, who's killed constant comrades of yours, without losing your sense of assurance?"

"I guess you're right," LiJuan admitted and leaned casually on a silver wall without vines. "Then wait. Are you a master, Geming?"

Before he could answer her, a quick, red figure kicked the avian in the beak. LiJuan sighed once she recognized the red panda. "Tao, I thought we agreed-"

Tao beamed at her while dodging Geming's skillful attacks. "I know, girlie. But because I'm oh so generous and forgiving, I decided to help."

"Then how'd you know she was all the way down here," Geming snapped smartly.

"What about you, stork?"

"i'm an _avian,_ your vicious ruler has kept me here for FIVE STINKING YEARS!" He flipped Tao over and tried to pin him down. But the red panda was faster and rolled aside to jab Geming in the chest. And soon, the rolls were reversed with Tao pinning the bird.

"Tell it to the judge, you stick."

"I would if I had the right-"

"Um, HELLO? I'm still here!" The female panda waved her arms earnestly at the two fighting animals, yet their attention was on the fight. Suddenly, LiJuan saw a dazzling blue sparkle coming from above Geming's hat.

"Hey guys, do you see that-"

"AH! Now what do we have here?"

The trio shuddered at the sound of iron talons and the sight of the emperor.

"My, my, Tao. Never in my years of ruling have I ever seen a sight so-"

"Wonderful?"

"Disappointing," the peacock hissed. "First, you haven't done what I asked-"

"Yes I have sir!" His sky blue eyes lightened in panic. "I-I mean, I could've done if it wasn't for this twisted bird-"

"Done what," LiJuan asked the red panda, who suddenly released Geminng to compose himself.

"Who are you, peasant?"

"Geming," the swift avian replied cooly with unforgiving brown eyes. "The son of the legendary Master Guang, master of the -"

"Crane style, blah, blah blah! I warn both of you now." The peacock aimed a spare throwing knife at Tao's throat, who began to gulp fearfully. "If you help this girl in any way with her journey, your lives will be forever spent into the Leifeng Tower-"

"OH NO PLEASE!" Tao got on his tiny knees and bowed pathetically and repeatedly at the lord's iron feet. "I BEG OF YOU!"

"Good." Geming held his head high and gave LiJuan a glance for help. "That way, an army will take place."

But to both the panda and avian's frustration, their enemy only chuckled menacingly. "Wannabe, much?" His murderous eyes locked on LiJuan's turquoise eyes. "As for you, LiJuan." He examined his knife for dirt. "Do you enjoy the pleasantries of the game so far?"

This girl decided from right then and there that if he was the antagonist, she was going to treat him like one. "It's easy breezy. So while you're at it, prepare for my entrance and finale when I leave this place with Po!" She winked at her friends, who were either surprised or frightened at her declaration. But to her frustration, the crazy peacock wasn't steamed, only _amused_.

"Then let's subtract an hour, hmm?" An ancient painting of Gongmen cit hovered beside him. With gorgeous but deadly feathers, the peacock lord magically made the sunny clearing in the painting darken by at least two notches!

"Hey, that's cheating!"

"But I thought that is was all 'easy breezy', love?"

A shiver crawled on LiJuan's shiny, sweaty back. Somehow, the nickname made her want to _treasure_ but at the same time, _loathe _his presence. She gave Geming and Tao looks that clearly said,'Help me!' Sadly, Geming was glaring at Tao, who was hanging and shaking his large head in defeat.

"Very well then. Here's an old friend of yours, Tao that I know you're dying to introduce!" The albino peacock took out the teal pendent he presented to LiJuan earlier, and threw it carelessly behind him. Suddenly, the ruler dissolved from view and a bloodthirsty creature took its place. For a moment, the trio's eyes and mouths dropped at the hideous being. He reminded LiJuan of FengHuang, the harmful grey owl she had encountered earlier, except he was taller, had coal black eyes and feathers, and had a sinister growl that made Tao jump in surprise.

"A-A-A The PHOENIX!" The red panda, quick and squealing, dashed off.

"FETCH my Phoenix," Shen cawed mockingly, and the gigantic bird soared after them at a suffocating speed. But while her friends panicked, LiJuan was in a trance from the departing peacock's feathers of white and red.

"RUN!" Geming broke LiJuan's trance by snatching her left arm, and dragged her into a breathless sprint.

"Nice going, pudgy!" As they all struggled with a blocked exit near the Phoenix's approach, Tao began to yell at LiJuan. "The PHOENIX now and the PRISON later! You sure know how to tick him off!"

**Geming- revolution**

**Huang- imperial, august, majestic **

**And yes, other Kung Fu panda characters from the movies and series will appear in this story as well.**


	6. The way forward, the way back

A twist in the legends

_"Get through the Labyrinth. Get through the Labyrinth? One thing's for sure, she'll never get through the Labyrinth!"- a quote from Hoggle in "The Labyrinth" Movie_

"This reeks."

LiJuan's right leg was now bruised on three blotchy, red spots, and dehydration was practically sucking her lungs' ability to breath. And all the while, they've just escaped a psychotic enemy with his ten foot mammoth Phoenix!

"Well, I guess I should've told you earlier. You're doomed." After his assumption, Tao began to climb on a nearby wall of dirt and built-in climbing stones. "Let's climb, folks."

"Wait. Tao, how do we know that you're trustworthy," LiJuan questioned, remembering the exchange earlier at the center of the silver hall.

Geming put a wing on her shoulder. "I say that we-"

"You hush, feather freak! Look girlie, I didn't mean what I said back there. And besides, you two are hopeless with any other option. There's no other exit here."

"Oh yeah?" Geming cocked his head and narrowed his gaze. "What about the step stone wall-"

"This IS the step stone wall, genius." Tao rolled his eyes and resumed to his climbing. "Yeah right, some prisoner for FIVE years…"

Soon, LiJuan and then a doubtful avian followed behind the red panda. Even with Tao as the leader and Geming at the bottom, being in the middle was not easy breezy for LiJuan. She had to fit her huge, sweaty feet and hands on the stones that were the size of moon cakes, and deal with Tao's constant precautions on the emperor.

"And remember this especially, you should consider yourself lucky for getting on his _good_ side, pudgy. I honestly have no idea why he hasn't sliced you to bits yet. But believe me, you wouldn't be able to say what you just said back there if you'd ever been in the Leifeng Tower!"

Suddenly, LiJuan felt Geming tremble under her massive feet. "For once, I have to agree with the red panda when I say that the Leifeng Tower is the most ominous and cruel setting, even more cruel than Gongmen Prison!"

"Oh please! Gongmen Prison is like a _mote_l compared to Leifeng Tower, you beak brain!"

LiJuan grew confused at their conversation. "So wait, this, em,_ tower_ is worse than a prison-

_"Any_ prison," Geming added.

"What goes on in a tall tower," LiJuan wondered.

"You reach the darkest parts of your nightmares, the deities tear you apart, literally, and repair you so that they can torture you again and again." Geming shivered at the thought behind his words.

"I know this might spark your curiosity, LiJuan," Tao added, while fiddling with the opening lock. "But take my warning seriously; the more you press this peacock, the more treacherous your path will become."

Both LiJuan and Geming exchanged a surprised look. "Tao," she asked. "Why are you so worried about my path?"

Realizing his mistake, Tao coughed obnoxiously loud and opened the exit. "I-It's just the right thing to do, pudgy. Now here we are, the surface!"

The threesome leapt out of the pit and breathed in the fresh, yellow jasmine scented air.

"You know." LiJuan turned to her friends. "You guys look a whole lot like some friends I have. But no offense, you're the complete opposite of them!" In response, they just glared at her in silence.

"Thanks for the news," Tao snapped.

"No, but's that' not necessarily bad-"

"Wait, LIJuan." Geming was the first to scan their surroundings. "We're at a village, the Chen Village. So let's try to lay low."

LiJuan's eyes sparkled at the sight of the small, but cozy looking village around them. Maybe, just maybe, someone was near and cheerful enough to ask directions from. But then, her mental plan was interrupted by a feminine squeal echoing in a nearby forrest.

"Well." Tao took off cowardly. "Good luck, George, Li Gi!"

"Wait, Tao! I didn't mean what I said back there about Master Shifu and you! It's just-"

Geming suddenly approached her with a skeptical look. "Shifu? That's gotta be the oddest name that I've ever heard-"

"What about Crane," she challenged.

"You got me there."

At the corner of her eye, LiJuan spotted Tao exit the tiny village. With a sigh of defeat, the panda beckoned for the avian to follow her into the foggy forrest.

Another shrill escaped the mist and made Geming yelp right then and there. Around them, the bamboo shots and swallows seemed to be shouting at them to go into another creepy forrest. But with one stubborn huff, LiJuan was brave enough to stroll forward.

What they found was, beyond questioned, a true sight to the eyes. Five dastardly wolf soldiers were poking and clawing a auburn primate that swung in a tied willow tree. His dark brown eyes were bloodshot, his pants were tattered, and he had several bruises and cuts from the wolves' fun in torturing him.

"Stop swinging, little monkey!" The first wolf clawed some orange fur off the poor animals' face with one swipe. "The more you stand still, the shorter this arrangement will be!"

"If only I could pummel those brick brains to an oblivion with a few attacks," LiJuan muttered hopelessly in witnessing the abusive scene before her.

"Yeah," Geming agreed wistfully. "But Dad has better throwing arms and I-"

"Man!" LiJuan beamed and pat the avail's frail back. "You've made me proud! All we need is some sort of weapon…"

"Hey, what do we do next, Boss?"

The Wolf Boss, and the only wolf with an eye patch, smirked and rubbed his greasy chin. "Let's give that noodle snake a new friend!" He snatched the thick vine that held the poor monkey upside down and was in the process of untying it.

"OWIE!" The boss' brother, Wags, squealed in pain at the red bump on his nose. "Fetch, I'm injured! Some brat hit me with a horrible-"

"Stone." Fetch growled in irritation but also had fear in his auburn eye. "Let's just get banana brat to the emperor and-"

"HEY! WHERE'RE YOU HEADING?" LiJuan proudly revealed herself from the corner of the foggy forrest with four smooth stones in her paws and a shy avian hiding his face in his hat. "I was only warming up."

They all growled at her, especially the Wolf Boss.

"Yeah, you in one army," the wolf named Fetch taunted.

"And what kind of army is you kind? The bullying kind? You all need to learn how to grow up, leave this guy be, and go back to chasing your tails!"

She threw her first stone and purposely missed, so that they're attention would be on her 'failure'. One their heads turned, LiJuan's second stone made contact with Fetch's rib and another jammed Wags in the chest. Geming, still hesitant but helpful, repeatedly handed her stones. The only wolf that didn't faint or run off crying was the Wolf Boss. True, he was sprawled out on the ground, yet a sly grin settled on his face.

"You've got a lot of nerve, lady. Coming here, assaulting us, standing against us, _and_ the emperor."

"Well, I'm glad that I could help," LiJuan snarled with her arms crossed around her puffed chest. "Tell your 'emperor' that I'm getting my brother back!"

"Have it your way."

But when the injured wolf turned to his side to grunt, LiJuan's eyes widened at the same red eye mark that had haunted her dreams with that astonishing peacock. Through its flashes, she could almost make out a face, consuming flames, and an endless ruffle of red and white. But once the fog had suddenly thickened, LIJuan was able to notice that her wolf opponent had vanished while she was daydreaming.

Scowling at herself, LIJuan cautiously approached the primate. "Sorry. I guess we were kind of late there, huh? Name's LiJuan, what's yours?"

But to her concern, the monkey only stared at her with a mixture of rage and sadness.

"What's wrong? Can you not speak?"

He was shaking his head 'no' by the time Geming joined them. But once the monkey saw the avian, they bowed their heads simultaneously in respect of each other's company.

"This was-is an honorable warrior and rebels against the peacock like I do," he explained to LiJuan. "Only, he's had to deal with harder circumstances. After my great father, Huang, was murdered by the wolf pack by the peacock's orders, this monkey here, Aiguo, avenged my father by saving several of the prisoners in Gongmen prison. Sadly, they caught him in his deed and somehow stole his voice for life."

"Who did this," she asked with a hint of anger.

Geming shrugged, as he aided her with the vine. "I don't know. And to be completely honest with you, Aiguo doesn't know at all." Aiguo nodded with wandering eyes. "He was put to sleep as they did it. But to be completely honest with you, LIJuan, I thought it was the Soothsayer. You know, since I thought she was up to no good and all. But…."

Aiguo's face met the ground with a THUMP and he responded with a hiss from pain. Soon, both Geming and LiJuan helped him up, yet their help did nothing for his sour face.

"Hey, sorry about that." LiJuan knelt to stare at the primate apologetically. "If you help us, I'm getting your voice back, Aiguo."

He and Geming just shook their heads in disbelief, but LiJuan decided to continue her persuasions.

"Very well then. If you don't believe that I can….Okay, here's the deal. Po, my brother, he's been napped by this peacock dude, and we could really use some help in this jacked up area." With laughter in his dark brown eyes and a chuckle, Aiguo ushered for her to go on.

"We're in search of Gongmen city, specifically the palace. Do you know an exact way or direction to get there? May I add; we are timed."

"_You _are," Geming joked, before receiving a strong hit in the stomach.

But to LiJuan's disappointment, Aiguo shrugged and shook his furry orange head.

"Oh. Then…" The female panda scanned the forrest and ushered her new friends. "I guess the journey' as clear as it'll get for now."

Suddenly, the foggy forrest darkened and her the two other animals were nowhere in sight. The female panda paced around nervously. "Aiguo? Geming? Guys? Where'd you go? I don't like surprises much, you posers!" But then, her ears picked up the vague sound of released claws.

"TAO!"

_At a nearby boggy pond…._

Tao was entertaining himself with skimming pebbles in the murky waters and the very certain theory that a certain panda will never win at Shen's game. Maybe it was the fact that he'd been tossed and turned around by Shen for years because of his status as a surrendering master, yet he knew that siding with LiJuan would only be trouble.

'Then why have you been helping her all this time,' a voice asked from the back of his mind.

"Hm!" Tao did help her, but that was only because he had no where else to go! Right? It's not like LiJuan was a complete and honest friend to him, and it _didn't _matter that he-he always felt a strange, thoughtful feeling around the girl! Tao usually wasn't a dependent red panda. Yet those turquoise eyes gave him an odd sense of paranoia and kindness, as if he'd seen and knew her from before.

"Oh! Quit it, Tao!" He began to run off into the shadowed evening clearing, when a shrill caused him to pause.

"TAO!"

The red panda knew that shrill from somewhere, even more than the core of his present instinct. The voice lightened him like a candlelit flame, but the name burned his very soul. For a brief moment, Tao didn't feel like Tao; he felt like someone who protected the innocent, including LiJuan.

"I'm coming, LiJuan! Just hang tight-"

"Well, well, well."

Two figures stood in front of the trembling red panda. One was the hateful peacock Shen, who's presence made the spring scenery darken a hitch. The other wagon his shoulder; neon yellow, hairy camel spider.

"_This _is your ally?" The spider, apparently feminine, giggled tauntingly. "He's a pitiful size and was just going to help the navigator-"

"Silence!" After his outburst, he gave the trembling Tao a frightening smile. "Now I know that Tao would;t do that. Not after I gave you another chance, am I _right_?"

"Um, yeah," he assumed dumbly.

Shen strolled around the pond's clearing with the sun bear near. "By the way, _this_ is Meng Po, my newest deity servant from Yama."

Tao involuntarily shuddered from the mention of the notorious krait snake deity. He never would've guessed that some spider was sent by that snake.

"Tao, Meng Po has brewed a-uh-_healing_ tea for our navigator, since she is the deity of forgetfulness and so forth. But moving on, you're needed, Tao."

"Fantastic." Tao faked a grin for the messed up peacock and his spider servant. "I'm glass we had this talk. I'll let you two get on with it and-"

"Tao!" Shen withdrew the same shining teal pendent. But with one breath from Meng Po, the pendent transformed into a sweet-smelling cup of tea. "Give her this to drink. I'm sure our little panda will soon be dehydrated."

Tao reluctantly reached for the steaming drink, yet hesitated through part of the way. "What will it do?"

"It comes with a few mind teasers, shorty." Meng Po frowned at Tao with distrust. "It's none of your business. Why should we trust this goof anyway, my lord?"

"Because." Shen patted Tao roughly on the back. "Because I know that our navigator trusts you the _most_." He smiled sadistically at Tao's worried face.

"It won't, well, _harm_ LiJuan, will it?" For some twisted reason, the red panda was disturbed at the thought. And with one thought of LiJuan's injured cheek, he felt the stinging guilt in his stomach.

Both the spider and Lord Shen snickered sinisterly at his question, and Shen turned his back on Tao. "Why are you afraid of what happens to her? Do you really think that she's your friend? HA! Remember, Tao, she only wants her brother and doesn't care at all about you. Remember your comrades? They deserted you….."

Doubt crossed the red panda's mind at the thought of LiJuan's welcoming attitude and smile. "I beg to differ," he whispered to himself. Unfortunately, Shen heard him and marched back to Tao with an fiery glare.

"You'll give her the tea," Shen hissed crossly. "Or it's to the Leifeng Tower for all of you. OFF WITH YOU, RUNT!"

When Tao sprinted off briskly with his guilt and worries, Shen's frown strangely transformed into a smile.

"Let's plan the arrangement, my dear servant." He and Meng Po began to fade into the mysterious aura of night. "We must look presentable…"

**Aiguo- Patriotic **

**Meng Po- Chinese goddess of Forgetfulness and would serve her five-flavored tea that made any being forget everything they once were (modeled by the shady camel spider that can run as quick as humans, give painful but not venomous bites, and scream)**

**Yama- Chinese god of the dead (modeled by the krait snake that can bite deadly, venomous bites)**

**Citation for animals:**

**.com/ecology/the-5-most-dangerous-animals-in-asia/944**

**Citation for deities:**

**.org/wiki/Category:Chinese_deities**

**Citation for male/female Chinese names:**

**http:/www./male_chinese_**

**http:/www./female_chinese_**


	7. Chilly Down

A twist in the legends

_"Don't pretend to be so harsh. I know that you came to help me, and I know you're my friend."-Sara to Hoggle from 'The Labyrinth' Movie_

_In Chen Forest…_

LiJuan was surrounded. The wolf pack held thirty soldiers at the least, and there was only one of her.

"Now," the wolf box eyed her victoriously. "You're in one army."

For the first time on this jacked up journey, LiJuan knew she was afraid. She didn't subconsciously shove away her fears in the cities, and the peacock was not that scary in general. To her, he was just a beautiful dream that had gone bad to become a devouring nightmare like spoiled eggs. Yet now, the panda was on full alert and ready to defeat the fearful creatures.

However when you're a female panda that hasn't been fully trained in Kung Fu or anything like that, in a tattered kimono, shoeless, and in the _middle_, you kind of know by then that you're fried. Besides, these ruffians might have been tool wimps, yet they knew how to take her down with one swipe of hard hammer.

"Are you just going to come quietly," Fetch snarled with gleaming black eyes.

"That's being debated!" Quickly, LiJuan jabbed a handful of wolves in the ribs or kisser. And once the fifth wolf fell in the tall grass, she sprinted like no tomorrow. But of course, the other runts ran after her with swinging swords, hammers, and growls.

When they all reached a jagged cliff that viewed the neighborhood forests, LiJuan had a full, but ominous view of her canine opponents. The first tool, the Wolf Boss, had a sadistic smile and a not-so-soft looking hammer. But the main reason why this guy spelled d-a-n-g-e-r in LiJuan's mind was that stupid red eye symbol. Now, the red flash memories played tears, more hungry flames, and burns that reached her small, growing lungs. For a split second, LiJuan felt the urge to hold her throat in despair. Then, her bold conscious swam back to her being.

"Kung Fu will LIVE!" LiJuan continued defending herself until she had to dash off. Hey, a panda gets tired after a while of fighting thirty or so wolf soldiers! And even if LiJuan _were_ a fully trained Kung Fu master like her brother, she never that her big escape would've occurred at _some_ point of the fight.

The wolves pursued LiJuan with their endless growls and snarls. She managed to sprint down the somewhat safe, angled cliff and lead them to a nearby meadow. After a minute or two of running nonstop and being several meters away from them, LiJuan reached a dark dead end. The rocky wall she reached was too steep to climb, as well as the others around her. Panicking, she began to subconsciously sweat again.

"Come out to your friends, panda!"

"Yeah, your _highness_!"

"SHUT YOUR WRETCHED FACES!" Angry and also terrified of what was to come of her, LiJuan tried to ensemble a quick plan in her mind.

"HEY, PUDGY!" LiJuan broke into a grateful smile at the sight in front of her; Tao was there with a skinny but steady ladder.

"CLIMB," he yelled from the top urgently. LiJuan happily obeyed and began to inch herself up. However, the wolves arrived when she was halfway up the wall. In groups, the wolf soldiers tried to claw the ladder, tear it to pieces, and even jump her. But because LiJuan was climbing at a fast pace and Tao had a remarkable grip on the ladder, the wolves' efforts were in vain.

"See you at the finish line, panda, traitor, the Wolf Boss mocked, and he and his team whimpered on their way back to the palace.

Once alone, LiJuan turned to her small, annoyed red panda friend. "You know that remark I made about you never being similar to my willful master even if it took counseling?"

"You didn't add the counseling part," Tao snapped with clenched fists.

His friend gave him a thoughtful look. "Tao, are you okay?"

On any normal day and to any normal animal, Tao would've assumed he or she was an idiot and in his way. However, this day was far from being normal so far. He'd had to save this panda from a pack of horrific wolves, and there was that whole plan from Lord Shen. Suddenly, Tao didn't know which side was the weaker side; LiJuan's or Shen's? Sure, she was obnoxious, knew barely five mastered attacks, and was trouble to his rear end. But at the same time, this ditzy panda was doing something very brave and selfless; saving her warrior brother when she wasn't one at all. In contrast, being on Shen's good side saved his rear end, yet it came with his lord' mocking, demands, and cruel deeds. Tao always saw Shen as a villain but the kind of villain that could never be brought to justice from his high status. Now with one look at LiJuan, he felt the strange urge to knock that peacock off his throne!

"You know what, Tao?" The red panda eyed LiJuan once more, but with obvious trust in his sky blue eyes.

The panda gave a heartfelt grin. "You're a lot like Shifu now. He'd help me just like you did today, and that was very brave of you."

"So, what's this 'Shifu' guy like?" LiJuan involuntarily flushed at his question. Many would be shocked to know how much the Furious Five's master meant to her. True, the guy was older than her. Although, she saw Shifu more as a friend about severity-five percent of the time, like when he was teasing her or Po. Yet at that moment, her other feelings for the fit red panda had been split open and spread on her embarrassed soft face.

"Well, he's, uh….wise, talented, great with my friends, and-"

"LiJuan?" Tao smirked a little at her stuttering. "This wise cracker's your boyfriend, I reckon?"

"Um, NO! He's my, uh, gah! _Friend_, friend, Shi-Tao." To her horror, the red panda began to mirror her flushed face. "NO! NO, Runt! That's not what I-" She felt a soft peck reach her right cheek.

Eyeing Tao's scarlet face with an equal amount of bashfulness, LiJuan tried to find her voice in her dry system.

"What was that," she whispered.

"A peck."

"Why'd you do it?"

To Tao's horror, he didn't have a clue. His chubby stomach was churning mixed feelings and warnings that scattered through his brain. '_Does she hate me_?' '_What will Shen do_?' _'Will she continue searching or change_?' Tao paused in wonder. '_Have I changed? Me_?'

A midnight black paw cupped his clenched fists. "I'm okay, Tao. It'll be okay." LiJuan gave him a small, shy smile. "Just tell me why you did it. We'll still be friends."

Tao shifted his feet and tried to break his gaze on LiJuan's marvelous, kind eyes. "Um, you see- AHHHHHH!"

Their setting magically dissolved in front of them, and they fell into a deep, dark oblivion. Even the panda's steep fall into the Chen pit wasn't _this creepy. _Bones and warm, smelly guts scattered during their free fall, but luckily didn't touch them. Well, one particular kidney landed roughly on Tao's frowning face.

"GET IT OFF-where are we?" The gut peeled itself off his face, and both Tao and LiJuan were safety on the grounds of a tower.

_At the Leifeng Tower..._

A fire-breathing, mutated dragon with lion hair and a serpent tail breathed a horrible stench on the newcomers then charged them.

"Duck!" Tao and LiJuan ducked briskly on the unsanitary grounds, safe from the dastardly demon.

"That was terribly rude," LiJuan scolded.

"Well what'd you except, Pudgy? If you haven't noticed, we're one step away from the Underworld of demons and deities!" He stood up, threw his tiny arms up ,and spun around in emphasis. "The Leifeng Tower!"

LiJuan trembled at the not-so-inviting bone,gut, and blood stained decor around them. And aside from its looks and stench, moans, groans, and verbal or physical taunts came from the sinister prisoners. To the female panda, the scariest creature in the tower was a shadowed figure with blazing, evil blue eyes that seems to survey them for a surprise attack.

"Great place! How do we get the heck out of here?"

Tao shrugged with clenched teeth. "Oh, now why did Shen _do_ this," he mumbled to himself over and over again. His eyes caught a nearby gate. An exit was there, what luck! "LiJuan! Pudgy?"

His friend was hypnotized by his words from before. 'Shen,' he mind echoed. The same bloody, symbolic images of her past revolved around that name. She remembered the Wolf Boss's shoulder symbol, the peacock's red, murderous eyes, and Po's story from Gongmen city.

_"He was just there, LJ," Po had told her the night he came back from fighting the peacock. "He was there through the violence, commanding it. It was the most terrifying experience, reliving that place again…."_

The 'place' he was referring to was the village where they were born as beaming twins. 'He knew all this time, he knew more than I did when I thought it was a mere dream! How could I have been so reckless and selfish and stupid?' That very same peacock had somehow risen from the dead; he tried to kill Po and could very well do it again.

"Shen's history," LiJuan growled. And with a questioning red panda, she took off to the distorted tower gate on the fifteenth floor. I

goring her stair pet peeve, LiJuan reached the gate with little effort. But when she and her panting friend tried to get across, a feline blocked their path.

"Tigress?" LiJuan's head began to fog once more. The tiger had the same amber eyes, body structure, and voice. Was this whole dilemma a bloody set up from all these look a likes?

"I'm Ehuang," the tigress snarled. "Guardian of the Leifeng Gate, banished from the Lands of the Masters with this price, protector of the innocent. Who are _you,_ newbie?"

Under Ehunag's glare, LiJuan felt the urge to hung her head like she did around Tigress. "I'm-"

"The navigator," a voice shouted from behind Ehuang. Chained and bruised, Geming and Aiguo fiercely glared at the striped feline.

"The navigator, enemy of Lord Shen," Geming warned with his head held high.

"So you better watch yourself, _kitty_," Tao added.

But before Ehuang could claw the prisoners, a furry arm stopped her.

"You DARE to HARASS the GATE GUARDIAN," Ehuang yelled at LiJuan. But to her aggravation, the panda simply held her paws up high and didn't pick up the fight.

"You have no skills nor reasons of being here." But then, the feline smirked deviously. "How do I know that you're not some rotten she-runt that Lord Shen sent here to be demolished?"

"Because I'm going to save my brother. And you can't stop me!" The words made Ehuang wince slightly, as if fate had plagued those words once upon a time. But when the red panda leapt to escape, Ehuang was once again on full alert.

"HEY WAIT, TAO?" LiJuan felt abandoned. Why did Tao have to leave her with two unstable friends to lug and a stubborn guardian gate with claws?

"You're not a 'navigator'. There's never been one! You're only a fibbing cheat, panda. Prepare to DIE!"

"ENOUGH!"

Ehuang paused from her assault and bowed gracefully at the slim figure approaching her. Meanwhile, LiJuan gasped. It was Viper, no a snow white clone of Viper with deadly, but similarly beautiful blue eyes. She wasn't as threatening as LiJuan thought she'd be, not yet.

"I'd expect better from you, guardian." The white snake's tongue flickered dangerously in the bowing feline's direction. "Learn your place; seek my judgement before attacking the newcomers of this tower. Is that_ clear_?"

"Yes, Princess Shu Quing," Ehuang swore solemnly.

The white snake then beamed at the nervous LiJuan. "Forgive my friend. She and I were once masters in a now oblivious and scattered council that was shattered by Lord Shen. He blamed her to being a 'monster' and me to loving a peasant."

"Your majesty…" LiJuan chose her words carefully. "Is this peasant's name Jian?"

Shu Quing's eyes blinked rapidly in surprise. "You_ know_ my Jian?"

"I know that he loved you and-"

"Was doubtful about you rescuing me?" She laughed out loud at the panda's astonished look. "My dear, as a demon of rightful servitude but also royalty, I have many gifts. One of them is knowing fate's favorites and traitors and lost ones." She revealed a bamboo staff that glowed brightly in the hopeless tower. Everyone, including Ehuang and Tao while excluding Shu Quing, eyed the staff in wonder.

"This staff is a present from my highest of courts and fate," Shu Quing bowed and withdrew it to LiJuan. "And it is yours, LiJuan, the last navigator, renegade to Lord Shen, and defender of the Dragon Warrior."

"You…know, huh?"

Shu Quing beamed considerably and amiably at LiJuan. "To answer your question, tell Viper to get a date with Mantis for me. Now go! And Ehugang, we must accompany these travelers with hospitality at all costs! Release the avian and primate."

"With all due respect, your majesty." Ehuang stood up and began to release Geming and Aiguo from their thick chains. "Why should we put so much fate into this panda? How do we know she's not a-"

"Now I know, Ehuang, that you are devoted to me and my expectations." Her stern face broke into a knowing grin. "But I thought that the hardcore understood."

Her princess' words haunted her mind and spirit, but she quickly shook off the feeling. Yet, it returned when she saw LiJuan strolling with Tao outside the gate. It was as if they were playing the parts of a father and love that she once grew to.

**Ehuang- beauty-august**

**Leifeng Tower- where the white snake was imprisoned from her human love**

**PLEASE LET ME KNOW WHAT YOU THINK, MY READERS! REVIEW!**


	8. As the world falls down

A twist in the legends

_"So much trouble over such a little thing, but not for long. She'll soon forget all about you. Just as soon as Hoggle gives her the present, she'll forget __everything__."- _Quote from Jareth to Toby from 'The Labyrinth' , and you know the deal

"Shen, it's over."

Tao's outburst was soft but meaningful, and he meant it through every part of his short being. He didn't care about his life anymore, and the results surprised even _himself_! Either way, LiJuan was not going to receive this cup of tea, not if he had anything to say about it.

The now hauntingly grey streets of Gongmen city seemed to bellow with laughter, Shen's laughter. "Oh you fool! I suppose I've overestimated your self control over some panda, Tao! Really, what would your comrades think?"

His icy words froze his stiff throat, yet he absorbed the taunts with a slow breath. "LiJuan is my comrade as well. She knows how to defeat a wicked being like you just as bravely as us masters tried to do years ago." Without a warning, Tao dangled the still warm cup over a rapid river of logs and cliffs.

"Go ahead," Shen's voice taunted through the forces around him. "Do it from some girl who's not your species and doesn't care a grain about you pathetic RUNT!"

A grim smirk crossed the red panda's face. "I was going to say the same about YOU!" But once the cup of tea had been purposely dropped, it flew back into the feathers of Lord Shen.

Grinning ominously at Tao, he ushered a now present wolf pack to imprison him. "Wolves, drag him…" His gaze came upon Meng Po and then Tao. A dastardly, menacing idea began to form in the peacock's mind. "On second thought, our opponent needs some support. Return him to the panda secretly _and _with Meng Po."

Once Tao and the immature pack strolled off, the camel spider eyed Shen curiously. "My lord, may I ask-"

"Make sure that absurd fool doesn't try anything with one quick bite," Shen ordered. "Memorize the script I gave you, give the tea to the panda, and leave."

Meng Po smiled mischievously. "How hard of a bite?"

"I don't care you insect-"

"I'm not an insect, sir."

"Whatever!" As Meng Po crawled Tao's path, Shen gracefully viewed his reflective blade. Inside the blade, a stern tigress, avian, monkey, panda, and SNAKE were on a narrow path near the palace.

"How dare she," Shen whispered wickedly, while sneering at LiJuan's image. "Insult my pride from releasing a prisoner under my laws!" Suddenly, Shen's disdained frown turned into the same moronic smile. "Oh, my dear LiJuan. Your time of games is through. With one drink, you'll fall…."

"Fall where, Shen?"

The peacock yelped at the Soothsayer, who's gaze held amusement but also fear. "Fall under my command, you old goat."

"So…" She eyed the peacock knowingly. "You, one who would preserve the powerful in towers or dungeons or in servitude and demolish the 'useless', are preserving this one panda's life. Why Shen? Why the change in heart?"

"Don't try that trick with me!"

"There's no trick, Shen." She stared into his red eyes with a sympathetic smile. "I just know that this panda will only bow to one's of kind deeds and consideration. Take the red panda, he just saved her life from your wolf pack. Am I correct?"

Shen's blood began to boil and sizzle at the mention of Tao, that little twerp! He was a simple blob that simply prevented him from reaching his goals of glory. Shen despised everything about Tao and how that navigator could think in that fuzzy head of hers that Tao was worth more than him, a lord!

"I wish to hear no more of your remarks," Shen growled deeply. "You are dismissed, Soothsayer."

"Just know this, Shen." The Soothsayer started on her trail back to the canine-filled palace. "She's not as fuzzy-headed as she seems. I still see her as a worthy fighter that will be difficult to delay or stop."

Shen giggled at her assumption. "That may be possible. Although, she'll soon be lost in a world where she'll be stopped and delayed for good; the world of masked faces."

_Back to our heroine at an abandoned restaurant in Gongmen city…._

LiJuan was on the edge. Her turquoise eyes were drooping, her kimono suddenly seemed heavier, and she almost ran into a nearby boulder during their trail.

Soon, Ehuang put a paw on the drossy panda and shook her gently. "Get some rest, LJ. We're almost to Gongmen palace anyway."

"Indeed." Shu Quing yawned and effortlessly coiled herself in a comfortable forrest corner. "We all need our rest."

But before LiJuan fell into a deep slumber, her eyes opened in realization. "Guys. Where's Tao?"

Aiguo gave her a teasing grin, as if to ask, 'who?'

"The red panda," LiJuan clarified with a worried frown. "We have to go get him-"

"I'm here, pudgy. Don't burst your soft sack." Tao, now timid and trembling, had an odd looking spider on his left shoulder.

"Hey Tao." Geming observed the spider. "Why's there a camel spider on your shoulder?"

"She's a friend, Geming." The avian, knowing that Tao had never called him by his real name since they met, automatically knew something terrible was on the red panda's mind.

Meanwhile, the camel spider beamed at LiJuan. "Tao, Tao. What a lovely panda this is! If only my eyes were that exotic shade….Oh! Right! In my old village, dear. It was a tradition to serve tea at the stroke of midnight to a wistful soul." She eyed the panda triumphantly. "Please, miss…"

"LiJuan."

"A beautiful name, too! Any who, would you like some of my homemade green tea, LiJuan?" Her spider legs managed to lift up a steaming, hand-crafted cup of green tea. "You look like you could use a boost. A journey, perhaps?"

"Yes, ma'am."

"Um, guys?" Tao turned uneasily to the group. "You guys should leave, now. I mean, I need to talk to LJ-I mean p- pudgy about something.."

All four of the animals, especially the white snake, stared at him with obvious suspicion in their eyes.

"I'll be fine guys." LiJuan smiled optimistically and shrugged. "It's just Tao and this spider, Miss-"

"Po."

LiJuan blinked in shock, remembering her dear brother and feeling guilty. "Um, well, besides, Po's a strong bro and I've got four or five hours to retrieve him. A- And it's just like you said Ti, we're near the palace anyway."

Every animal eyed the unemotional tigress. With a short breath, Ehuang smirked. "I guess so, panda. Just be careful and call us if you need us." With that, she ushered the other three animals to follow her. Geming and Aiguo glanced their friend's way, and Shu Quing stared at LiJuan hardly as if she ordered the panda to watch herself and be cautious. But soon, Tao, LiJuan, and the camel spider were alone in the restaurant.

"Here, dearie." The camel spider hopped onto LiJuan's right arm and lifted the sweet-scented beverage to her.

The fragrance was addictive to LiJuan and smelled like misty rain, Gongmen spices, and freshly cooked rice all into one. Her black lips were about to sip the delicious liquid when she caught Tao's fearful gaze. LiJuan could've sworn that he was frightened to death. Yet, after noticing her, he smiled and urged her to drink the tea. 'Maybe I'm _that _drossy,' LiJuan thought aimlessly. 'This spider's right. I'm in need of a drink.' And with one small grin, LiJuan gulped up the green tea.

Meng Po smiled evilly, and Tao hunched at her gulps. 'I'm such an idiot,' his mid repeated. 'If only that spider didn't bite me…'

LiJuan stood up all of a sudden with wide, now dark cloudy blue eyes. "Tao…this tea's a weird kind…" Dizziness overcame her. She began to sway slowly and tiredly, catching the spider's grin and Tao's worried look. "Tao…Ma'am….," she slurred and wiped her forehead, which was drenched in sweet, cold sweat. "Why'd you do this?"

Once Meng Po hopped off in glee, Tao hung his head and gritted his teeth. "That Shen!" He turned around swiftly and glided through the trees. "Remember, LJ!" His shouts began to echo in her clouded mind. "Kung Fu lives!"

"Kung…Fu? Shen…" One thought stood above all of the forgotten and blurred memories. "Why? Who am I? How'd I get here? Please? Anybody? PLEASE!"

She fell with a muffled thud on the earthy fields of damp, green grass, exhausted and nauseous. Her mind was spinning at the speed of a whirlwind, and every part of her being had dissolved without a trace. LiJuan forgot her brother, her friends, her opponents, but mostly her purpose.

Confused and dizzy, LiJuan's eyes fell to a swirling, fiery red symbol. It hypnotized her gaze, and the panda automatically rose up to the floating symbol. And with a fuzzy paw, her hands cupped the symbol gingerly. And all of a sudden, the world around her began to melt as well as her fur.

_Back at Gongmen city…_

The four animals returned to their original meeting place to retrieve their black and white friend, only to find her missing.

"Darn it," Geming groaned. "She's leading this journey of avenging, too."

Both Shu Quing and Ehuhang eyed the primate jokingly. "Who says," they asked.

The two male animals shrugged and frowned.

"This is truly careless of her to be leaving like-" Ehuang began her rampage, until Shu Quing raised her lovely snake tail.

"Do you see that, Ehu," the snake questioned in awe. "Look over there! It's some sort of….mark…."

The four pairs of eyes widened at their surroundings. Not only was it _a_ mark, the red circles were everywhere! They hovered in the bamboo thickets, the trees, the houses, and into the night breeze. What they failed to notice was that some of these marks contained bare, odd looking animals, including one female with a beautiful dress on.

_In a dream of masked faces…._

Every masked human stared at the newcomer in a gorgeous black and white gown of silk and laces. But meanwhile, that gorgeous, pretty-eyed woman was confused. LiJuan felt unsure of who she was and if the creatures around her were trustworthy. But then, her whole world began to play before her when she met a pair of ominous red eyes.

His skin was milky white, and his limbs were skinny. The strange red-eyed man also wore a silver and white suit with a proper bright red tie. He wasn't drop dead handsome, but simply and blissfully handsome to LiJuan. Her mouth dropped open under his stare. But before she could shut it up, he dissolved into the sly crowd.

While searching for any exit, LiJuan was shoved, teased, and stared at by every person in the dazzling room of platinum white columns and golden silk canopies. A chill ran up her spine every time she caught the man staring at her…Shen was his name. Out of all this chaos, she remembered this man's name. She was in her own little world until a gentle hand took hers.

Fiery red eyes met gentle turquoise eyes, and LiJuan blushed like a school girl. But to her surprise, he just seemed to stare right into her soul without a care in the world. "May I have this dance?"

The stunning girl nodded timidly and let him lead her to the center of the sparkling ballroom. There, Shen twirled, whirled, and lifted LiJuan with little effort in the dance. In that wonderful moment, LiJuan thought he was the most amazing being on the face of her world. And when she witnessed Shen's gentle smile, she knew that he felt the same way about her. Dancing with Shen felt so natural,worry-free, and amazing, and LiJuan was more drawn into the dance with every minute that passed.

"You're light on your feet," Shen told her.

"Well, _you're_ leading the dance. I feel like…it's too good to be true…like I've seen you before…"

The man laughed, amused at her words. "And where have you seen me, precious?"

LiJuan turned more red at the nickname, 'precious.' It hit a noticeable bump on her heart, and Shen could easily tell.

"In a dream," he teased with a sly grin. "Come now, don't avoid your dreams. Devour them, play a part in them. _Be_ a part of this glorious moment, LiJuan. Once it leaves you, it's gone." He leaned into her right ear. "Trust me, precious," he whispered. "If you leave, you'll regret it."

The lovely woman shut her eyes once he leaned into her face. LiJuan wasn't a fool when it came to times like these, and butterflies buzzed in her stomach. Yes..it was so bliss and perfect and-

_"H- Help me…..LJ."_

The moan for help woke her from her trance, and LiJuan broke away from Shen. "Sorry," she apologized. "Someone is-"

"_LiJuan, it's me! WE NEED YOU! I'm your brother, Po! THE -"_

"Shut up," Shen hissed under his breath. However, LiJuan caught his hiss and noticed an odd _feather_ on Shen's head.

_"Just WAKE UP, LJ!" Another painful voice, a female voice, was growling and howling through the torment. "Just get us OUT OF HERE!"_

_"Please LJ," a gentle feminine voice shrilled. "We're imprisoned-AHHHH!"_

_"Viper! GEEZ, LET US OUT!"_

_"LIJUAN!" A louder, deeper male voice got LiJuan's full attention. "You're imprisoned as well. You NEED to wake up so that our world of Kung Fu and peace will be-"_

"SILENCE," Shen boomed, who now had a smaller, feathery body. "My dear," he snarled at the now tearful LiJuan. "Don't listen to those absurd parlor fools! Join the party once more and-"

_"LIJUAN!" _

"Po," LiJuan felt herself ask the fading voice.

_"YEAH, REMEMBER THAT NIGHT, PLEASE!"_

"That…night….?" LiJuan clutched her throbbing head at the loads of memories filling her mind. She suddenly remembered her infant years of short breathing, of being jealous of her brother, of meeting the Furious Five, of losing her brother, and remembering the villain. Shen, the cruel murderer, was behind her, and her shame squared her hard in the chest.

"You," she whispered mercilessly at the now glaring albino peacock. "TRICKED-" She remembered the tears and the blood and the familiar faces of loved ones. "ME!" Suddenly, LiJuan felt herself fall into at an endless height of shattered glass, broken lanterns, and a visible rising sun.

"No, LiJuan." Shen glared sinisterly at LiJuan. "You tricked yourself."


	9. It's all junk almost

A twist in the legends

_"She'll never forgive me. What have I done? I've lost my only friend. __That's __what I've done."- Hoggle _

_Above a murky river…_

Our heroine was falling, falling out of her cream-colored, human shell. Wide-eyed, the now she-panda observed the trinkets, clothes, and familiar scents that were falling with her. One empty elixir glass caught her curious eyes. But before her right paw could reach it, LiJuan's face met the dirt brown waters with a splash.

_Near a murky river…._

Tao felt ruined, just plain torn and ruined to the dumps. He felt cowardly, lost and above all, ruined. That panda gave him a true reason to fight for his closest comrades and the legends of Kung Fu. Tao _finally_ believed that somebody could defeat Shen. No one had ever defied Shen so well and got away with it. And beyond all that, Tao felt like he betrayed her, his only beloved friend, and someone far beyond is reach.

Suddenly, a light breeze of pink blossom petals tickled his pointy nose. Twitching and frowning, Tao scurried away. But before he could try, a scaly hand gripped his right arm.

"My friend, I believe that you are lost."

"Mind your own problems," Tao snarled with his back still turned. "I'm not in the right mood to deal with a hanger like you, old man."

The stranger chuckled amiably. "Look who's talking! LiJuan was right about you."

This made Tao turn to the stranger, an elderly turtle, in shock. "You know too much about me, huh?"

The turtle grinned fondly at Tao and put a strangely familiar bamboo flute in his tiny hands. "I know that you need to regain your old self and be there for LiJuan. Kung Fu is barely holding on, as so are you.

_At a damp village…_

LiJuan was desperate for a memory besides the two ones that were already pinned to her brain. One was that she wasn't a panda in the festival, and the other was the festival itself. The poor panda wished she knew more about who was, a transformed panda or psychotic panda, a clever girl or a complete fool, a dreamer or someone high ranking, and mostly, loved or hated.

She remembered Shen, how he danced with her, how he had love in his eyes, and how she had to escape from his grasp. But two extra questions rose above the most when it came to him; was he a human or a peacock? And was he sincere with the whole deal or was it a cruel scheme?

Maybe the dream itself was a scheme. Maybe…"Ow," LiJuan moaned from the blurry memories that scattered around her aching mind. "What was I….up to? Where…"

"Hello, dearie." LiJuan yelped femininely at the voice behind her. Standing up, she stared at the sweet voiced scorpion.

"I'm Miss Scorpion. Horrible choice of names, I know. Now then, who are you, dearie? Where's your home? You got some gifts-"

"Forgive me, miss." LiJuan had to interrupt the she-scorpion's jabbering, for the sake of her memory. "I-I don't know who or where or..what I am, ma'am."

The scorpion abruptly stopped, and looked at the embarrassed panda from head to toe. "I'm no expert, but I'd say that you're a lovely giant panda with no where to go, no one to turn to…" She began to stroll into an abandoned cabin, but poked her red head out to the confused LiJuan. "Come in, dearie. There's plenty of room for another pretty face."

Unsure of the invitation and rather shy, LiJuan twiddled with her thumbs. "N-no thanks…I gotta go…"

"But don't you want your ZhenZhen back?" The scorpion, biting her smiling lips, held out the plush, stuffed panda that reached her tiny height. When the scorpion tossed the toy to LiJuan, she caught it gingerly and held it against her soft cheek.

"ZhenZhen?" LiJuan stared hopefully at the soft, smiling panda toy. She glanced at the grinning Ms. Scorpion. "Thanks, ma'am."

"You're welcome. Now, come in here and share some cookies with me, dearie!" Still biting her red lip, Ms. Scorpion crawled into the opened doorway anne leapt on a wooden table to retrieve the jar of cookies. As LiJuan reached out to her aid, something shocked her. The small room had an odd, familiar scent of steamed noodles and yellow jasmines. Everywhere she turned, sketches of familiar faces and handwritten poems lied on the floor. A small, but cozy looking bed sat in the corner, and a tidy jewelry collection seemed to shine in even the dark bedroom. But one observation terrified LiJuan; it was all too familiar.

"It's so…," she hesitated, "dark."

"Indeed. I get little light here. I have to treasure every warm essence that I get." Ms. Scorpion tossed the cookie jar to her guest, and LiJuan happily bit into a gooey cookie.

"That one's a chocolate chip cookie," Ms. Scorpion explained with her mouth full of vanilla cookies. But after seeing the she-panda's awkward expression, she sighed in shame and set aside the treats. "Forgive me, dearie. I only eat sweets when company comes around. And I thought you'd be hungry-ooh! Look at this bead collection! Isn't it so elegantly made?"

"Yeah," LiJuan replied with a nod and grin. Ms. Scorpion seemed so very kind and warm-hearted to the panda for inviting her into her home; LiJuan had nothing to fear. "Did you make all these bracelets and stuff?"

"I'm afraid that your theory is false, dear."

"But then…who _did_?"

"Beats me. Ooh, look at this fantabulous scarf, dearie!"

As Ms. Scorpion eyed the fuzzy blue-green scarf, LiJuan surveyed the room with an ounce of dizziness. "I feel…like something's missing…."

"Oh, it's all good and well, LiJuan! Look at this wonderful-" Ms. Scorpion's voice faltered, realizing her mistake.

"Ms. Scorpion." LiJuan suddenly felt suspicious. "I don't believe-"

"Dearie, do you want another cookie?"

"No thanks. This is…"Her gaze settled on an odd looking teal pendant. "What's this?" With one look at the pendant, the scorpion snatched it in one jump.

"HEY," LiJuan shouted. "That was rude…"

"It's dirty," the now annoyed scorpion muttered bitterly. "Do you want a chug of juice, dearie? Dear?"

But LiJuan was too focused on a particular picture of two smiling parents, a mother in a flowing tan dress with dimples and a father with a joking grin and mustard yellow pants. "Mama, Baba…Baba.." A goose found its way into her blurry mind, wearing a fond grin and an apron. Then, her mind's eye witnessed two twin pandas in a radish basket, happily sucking and eating fresh radishes. "Po…" She saw his goofy face, heard his squeals of joy, his words about the Furious Five. "Guys…" A beautiful tigress, a timid avian, a friendly snake, a comical monkey, a teasing mantis, and a wise red panda were there to greet her mind's eyes with warm smiles. But then, why was she in this cruddy pit?

"Shen…"LiJuan's face grew as dark as the room and Ms. Scorpion noticed.

"Dearie?"

"I have to get OUT OF HERE!" She raced to the door, but a sizzling scorpion blocked her path.

"Not on my watch, navigator." She raised a gleaming claw, leapt, and aimed at the she-panda's face. "YOU LOST TRACK OF TIME!"

_Back to the anti-hero…._

"Okay, I've officially gone downhill."

This is what the red panda got for talking to strangers; a creepy turtle named 'Master Oowgay' and a now projected image of a dying creature.

"Go ahead," Oogway lightly pushed Tao closer to the moaning animal. "He's a simple mist image from our view. I'll let you two chat." He leaned into Tao's saucer-like ears. "Old friend, be kind to this person. His life is in your hands."

"Uh, shouldn't that mean that he should be kind to _me_, sir?" But Oogway just snickered at his question and disappeared with the flowery breeze. The two objects that he left to be remembered by was the wooden staff and the bamboo flute in his hands.

With a deep breath, Tao shook the figure. Yet once he laid a finger on the animal, Tao's arm was caught in a painful twist.

"What the TRASH," he snapped. "Unhand me, SHORTY! I'm- wait." With one look at the creature's face, Tao promptly tried to run off only to be held by the tail by the red panda.

"You're, you're-"

"A master? Yes. Thank you for ending my misery," he shot sarcastically.

"No! No! You're _me_! That cannot be!"

"It is what it _is," _the master snapped. "And frankly, you're no walk in the park either, Tao.

Tao huffed impatiently at his identical friend and crossed his arm. "Fine. State your name."

"Master Shifu."

The other red panda's sky blue eyes boggled at the name. "LiJuan had said-"

"Yes, I know." Tao noticed that the red panda's eyes softened at the mention of the name. "She's in need of you."

"Me? Ha! Very funny, Shifu! You almost had me there-"

"I MEAN IT! Would you rather let her DIE?"

Tao cursed under his breath to ease his anger, and grinned wryly. "Well then, if you're some master, why don't _you_ tag along? She likes _you_ better anyway!"

For a second, Shifu looked a bit wistful, yet his frown returned to him once again. "But that's not the point! I'm imprisoned with my students and the Dragon Warrior, who is desperate for his sister to save him! Traditionally, the navigator is entitled with the responsibility of rescuing the-"

"So you're blaming _her _for this nonsense?"

"I'm not blaming ANYONE, you impulsive-"

"She lost anyway, you old man!"

"But it's her mess that _she _needs to clean up!"

"But it was an ACCIDENT!"

Shifu paused from his outbursts at Tao's decree. "There are no accidents," he grumbled softly. His eyes found Tao's and faded in pity. "And I've learned that the hard way…"

In those sky blue eyes, Tao saw a master, son, father, and friend that is on the verge of losing all he cares about. He then eyed Shifu's several bruises, burns, and cuts. "That's deep, man. You're deep…and I understand. But…she's…gone by…" Tao paused under the pressure and shut his eyes.

"I know you betrayed her," Shifu sternly stated after a moment of silence. "However, you shouldn't lock yourself up in this prison of guilt. Think about LiJuan; she needs you, Tao." The older-looking red panda suddenly grunted and held his burning left side. "My..time….is…up…." Shifu began to dissolve, as the burning orange run rises from east of them.

"No! Wait! Master!" Tao dashed to Shifu, feeling an odd sense of recognition. "Don't go!"

"Be there for her, Tao. For me." And once the sun had reached the mountainside, Shifu had dissolved and Tao was left.

But with one look at the sunrise, Tao suppressed a determined glare that could compare to Shifu's and grabbed the flute and wooden staff. As he gripped the objects, Tao beamed. "That crazy turtle was right….I've changed."

_Back to our heroine…_

"Oh! YOU WICKED, VILE, SHE-DEVIL YOU-"

"Aw, go on," LiJuan mocked the imprisoned scorpion, as she slammed the door. Who knew that her her beaded jewelry collection could come so in handy? They made awesome handcuffs!

But after that brief moment of success ended, LiJuan immediately sprinted to the now golden Gongmen city. "I'm coming, Po. I'm-" A can roughly tripped her right foot.

"Gee, good morning!" LiJuan brushed the damp grass off her tattered kimono, and glared at the elderly goat.

"Forgive me. You need this." She wrapped a warm, colorful quilt over LiJuan's shoulders. It was a sea green, golden yellow, and rosy red quilt with an odd, misty scent.

"You're the only one who can stop the death of Kung Fu," the Soothsayer ordered with a velvety tongue. "I understand that you're unsure of your own path and unsure of the enemies that you might or will face. But tell me this, LiJuan, why did I foretell all of this last evening?"

'It was only that long ago?' LiJuan gazed at the Soothsayer in amazement. "Why, Soothsayer?"

"Because." The Soothsayer lightly poked where LiJuan's heart continued to beat. "Because I know that under this structure and this face, there lies a more important trait; bravery. I knew that your path was destined to equal your brother's; I knew that only you could put a stop to all of this and learn from it."

With a firm nod, LiJuan stared at the steep mountain trail to Gongmen city. The she-panda had only about two hours left to travel the five or so miles to the city and then up to the top of the palace!

"What have you learned, panda?"

With a quick breath, LiJuan glanced determinedly at the she-goat. "Never compare yourself to others," LiJuan responded. She dashed the trail, leaving the smiling Soothsayer.

"And NEVER WISH PEOPLE AWAY," LiJuan added over her shoulder. Who LiJuan didn't notice was the wounded but smiling Shifu, watching her from a cliffside.

'Make us proud, LiJuan,' Shifu thought with high hopes. 'Make the old men proud.' With one final glance, Shifu dissolved for good into the morning wind.


	10. In the battle

A twist in the legends

_"She must be stopped!"-Quote from Jareth_

_At the docks of Gongmen city…._

Shen was preparing for the attack, gloomily supervising his wolf troops that jittered around the main ship in search of needed goods and weapons. Yama, meanwhile, was coiled on a comfy pillow by side, slithering in harmony.

"Your old friends are quite- _hysterical,_ Shen."

Shen only nodded briefly, for his tongue was frozen from being absorbed in numerous thoughts. Thoughts that he'd rather not mention to an infamous immortal, pestering goat nanny, or anybody. He still had the urge to slit Tao's throat open for disobeying him, still had the nerve to imprison and mercilessly torture the leftover masters after him, and still had the idea of ambushing LiJuan until the white flag is seen. If only she would stay where she was…

"Lord Shen! The leftover masters! They're on the approach!" The Wolf Boss, panting and slightly afraid, was reluctant to tell the news to his master and old friend.

The albino peacock cursed, and the krait snake shook his head pitifully. Harshly, Shen snatched the small metal telescope in a nearby wolf's paw and snuck a look for himself. From his view on the destructive cannon ship, Shen saw four figures at a fairly far distance away; a tiger, a primate, an avian, and, the one that displeased him the most, the white snake. If he wasn't already in the middle of a lot of trouble! With that white snake parading around, she was sure to destroy his precious cannons and weaponry with one tail swish! Yet on the bright side, there was no pathetic red panda or troublesome giant panda in sight.

The wolf boss shuddered under Shen's now threatening stare. "Wait for them to reach the hill near the harbor," he whispered. "By then, I expect them to be demolished." The Wolf Boss bowed briskly and went to repeat the orders to his pack.

"I'm terribly sorry that things didn't work out for you and the navigator," Yama unemotionally added, while inwardly cackling at his antics.

The remark made the peacock pause in doubt. "What did you say, my king?"

"Nothing, nothing."

"Oh. Now if you excuse me," Shen glanced at the sky with a humorless smile. "I have to issue some new towels for my knives. Panda blood is known to stain silver, you know."

_On a roof in Gongmen city…_

Four hesitant animals stealthy viewed the harbor from the slippery house roof. Aiguo was subconsciously twirling his tan orange tail, Geming was shaky in the skinny knees, Ehuhang was viewing the empty setting with worry in her amber eyes, and Shu Quing was sympathetically eyeing villagers on the sidelines, who were trying to edge away from Shen's multiple ships.

"Looks like he's been busy," Geming muttered wryly.

"And it looks like we need a plan," Shu Quing whispered. "Ehuhang; let's carry out the act of s-"

"Surprise?"

"No," the white snake pursed her lips. "The act of separate forces."

Ehuhang understood immediately and quickly formed a revision of the plan's strategy. "Aright. Separate forces; Aiguo; distract the wolves under Shen's wing so that Shu Quing will be able to slither without being noticed. Geming; use your wingspan skills to blow the ships off their course as mush as you can. But avoid the villagers' paths at any cost. Shu Quing; you have your purpose, and I may never see your face after this mission. So before we part, it was an honor to be your guardian and friend.'

"Oh Eh!" The white snake rolled her sapphire eyes, but stole a hug. "We're sure to live. Just fight off as many wolfs and others as you can. Oh! And I'll give you the dust signal if all efforts are failing."

Geming gave Ehuhang a questioning look, but the slightly emotional feline was too distracted by her unshed tears to notice.

"As you wish, Shi Quing." And after the brief looks and silent farewells, the fours animals leapt from the roof and began their attack. But before the white snake could jump with her fast friends, a tiny insect playfully grabbed her snow white tail.

"Where you going, princess?"

Panicking, Shu Quing roughly smacked the tiny figure. "Okay OW! Geez, women. What's with their mood swings?"

The sarcastic voice made Shu Quing turn to the praying mantis in awe. "Jian? Is it really-"

"Bad to the bone, toots."

"OH JIAN!" The white snap tenderly coiled herself around the embracing mantis. "How are you, sweetie?"

"Well, work's been rough. That's why I came to give you a hand at knocking sense into the peacock. By the way, have you met his newest opponent?"

"Let me guess; she's a panda."

Jian gazed at his grim looking lover with shocked copper eyes. "What happened, Shu?"

"She got caught in the moment, Jian. Caught in the-"

"HEY LOVE DOVES!" LiJaun's sudden landing made the snake and the mantis jump on the spot. "Where's the emperor with jacked up goals?"

"LiJuan! Glad you could make it, but your brother's on one of those ships as we speak! Thousands of wolves are there, too!"

"Thanks, Shi Quing, Jian. See you at the finish line." LiJuan jumped and dashed to the departing ships.

"You know," Jian pointed out. "I always feel like I'm missing something, toots. Don't you?"

The white snake eyed her lover humorously. "You have no idea. Now let's join our comrades. These guys don't look like they'll give up easily."

_On Shen's ships…._

"YA!" Ehuhang fist-punched several wolf soldiers in the ribs and jaw. When one reached over her furry neck to choke the feline, she shrewdly bit the gullible wolf. Meanwhile on a nearby ship with more cannons, Geming was flying as swiftly and carefully as he could through the smoke and cannons that clouded his vision. Thinking of what his father, Master Huang, had pointed out about center swooping, Geming furiously flapped his silver gray wings from his chest to evaporate more dusty clouds. On the roofs of nearby abandoned homes, Aiguo hopped from rooftop to rooftop, distracting the steaming wolves with his taunts and playful faces while avoiding their ominous cannons and weapons.

"Hey Aiguo!" Aiguo barely missed a flaming arrow behind his skull, for he had turned to the stern panda.

With a look that said, 'I'm kinda busy,' Aiguo scowled.

"Look, I'm sorry about abandoning you guys. However, my brother's down there, and I need you let me know which ship Sh-the _peacock_ is on.

With a frown, the primate turned to the smallest, but most decorative ship in the harbor. With a squint of her oceanic eyes, LiJuan could make out a snake and a cabin that held a peacock and a panda..cub?

"Aiguo, it's been nice knowing you." With her stretched, hefty limbs, LiJuan dove into the murky depths of Gongmen's river. Paddling through the waters, LiJuan climbed up the nearest ship and stealthily eye three felines, one being a steamed tigress.

"Where's your pretty snake princess, Ehuhang,," Su taunted with a wicked smile. "Last time I checked, she wiped your little service behind off the royal rankings."

"And last time I checked, you had no right to criticize the beloved heir to the viper throne," Ehuhang snarled viciously. She dodged Su's punches and jabbed Su in the stomach. Sadly, Tai Lung clawed her before she could harm his comrade.

"That's about to change now, you traitor! Shen's wiped out thousands of royal dynasties, and has appointed us as his advisers." He dodged Ehuhang's kicks, but the tiger flipped upward and slashed a good swipe of fur off his neck.

"Get your claws away from him!" Su flipped and slapped Ehuhang several times. But at the sixth slap, Ehuhang's grabbed Su's gloved wrists and jabbed her knee in the feline's abdomen. But before Ehuhang could reach the now sprawled Su, Tai Lung grabbed her throat and choked her until LiJuan was able to detect bruises on her neck area.

"And the worst part of this whole deal," Tai Lung whispered smoothly and demonically in the wide-eyed tiger's left ear. "Your snake will perish on the spot and join the navigators's place in death."

"They'll live," the feline choked out with a twinge of doubt.

Catching the doubt in Ehuhang's voice, Tai Lung decided to point out the extra information. "By the way, we have a guest. I'm sure he could negotiate with Lord Shen to waste your lives, being Yama."

"Yama? AH!" Ehuhang screamed in dreadful agony. She couldn't escape from Tai Lung's grasp, now knowing that his bloodthirsty energy was from non other than the lord of the dead himself. But through even throughout her weary vision, Ehuhang noticed that the wolves had began to grow tougher and bigger within each second passing by.

"Hey! Pretty boy!" Tai Lung's grip weakened at the bold, feminine voice near them. This was Ehuhang's chance; she nipped at Tai Lung's right paw until the stubborn snow leopard noticed. With his temper rising, she was able to aim and jab a few suitable juts in his gut. Meanwhile, LiJaun came to her aid and head butted Tai Lung. Stumbling, the snow leopard glared at the panda.

"You're back with a few minutes to spare I see."

Knowing his purpose of distracting her, she shoved Tai Lung roughly on the ship grounds. "I don't need someone to state the obvious-"

"Go now, LiJuan!" But before the giant panda could argue, Ehuhang waved it away. "You heard the cat; you're timed big time! Go! I'll take as many as I can."

Giving her a brief look of gratitude, LiJuan dodged the many spears and nearby cannons on her path to Shen's ship.

_On Shen's ship…_

Po was gurgling and giggling at the mad peacock in front of him. Unfortunately, Shen was overjoyed as well; his mind was captivated by the disturbing thought of a murdered panda cub.

Giggling predatorily, Shen unleashed his sharpest and most deadly throwing knife and was about to end the Dragon Warrior's life when-

"LORD SHEN! THE PANDA!"

Shen rolled his red eyes and poked his head out of the small, hidden cabin to glare at the Wolf Boss. "What on Earth is it? That panda is-" He met unforgiving and cold sky blue eyes and faced the renegade.

"Shifu," Shen grinned sardonically at the red panda. "Or Tao? Are you a traitor or a master?"

Tao, now holding the heart of an elderly master, raised his head and held an equally determined glare. "Am I not called a master for nothing?"

"You're no master, no matter who you once were. Your scars have never faded."

"I'm afraid that you nothing." Shifu flipped and kicked Shen square in the forehead. You know nothing about what I've been through!" Shen caught his tiny legs in mid attack and managed to slash his left leg with a throwing knife.

"Oh poor little Tao, always being ridiculed and Shifu dealing with a couple of deaths-"

"You murdered countless citizens!"

"What about your son and your girlfriend?"

Huffing, Tao leapt and aimed for Shen's chest, but the peacock dodged his attacks with a short laugh. "Face it, you runt! Tai Lung and Fenghuang have joined my side. It truly is a pity that the navigator had to face them-" Shen slashed a brutal cut on Tao's left arm, smacked Tao to the side, and slashed the red panda once more but on the chest. Before going deeper into the cut, Shen decided to let the traitor suffer mentally as well. "May I just say that before you die, LiJuan's not here?"

Surprisingly, Tao managed to grab a nearby glass bottle and hit Shen's head with it. Surveying the shattered glass and disheveled peacock with his eyes, Tao grunted, "If she's alive, that's all I care about-"

"Tao?"

Perking up a little at the sound of the giant panda's light voice, Tao felt his stomach churn in skepticism. "LJ? LJ! I'm-"

_Reaching Shen's ship…_

LiJuan was sweating with excitement but also fear, knowing good and well that the sun was hinting the seventh hour of morning. Skipping and sliding over neglected barrels, swords, hammers, glass bottles, and squeaky toys, LiJuan was on her way. But right then and there, her eyes were shining anticipatively at the shape of a fighting red panda on Shen's ship.

"Tao," she called out, hoping that he'd hear. Reaching the side of the small ship and hiding behind the cabin wall, LiJuan tip-toed closer to the fighting opponents. Deciding to risk it, she jumped out on the spot. But with one look at the scene, LiJuan wished she'd been shot or fired at into the polluted waters beneath her.

Tao was sprawled out on the ship's grounds, bloody and gasping for breath. His white fur looked slightly blue, even in the blood red atmosphere they were in. Shen, on the other hand, was bloody as well, yet smiling ominously and menacingly at her terrified face.

"I know," Shen cooed teasingly. "I know that he didn't deserve it, blah, blah, blah, let's cut to the chase!" Suddenly, a baby panda cub was in the deranged peacock's bloody feathers.

"YOUR BROTHER"S LIFE IS MINE!" And with one disdainful caw, Shen leapt and threw several throwing knives in an enraged panda's direction.


	11. I can't live within you

A twist in the legends

_"Just fear me, love me, do as I say, and I'll be your slave." - Quote from Jareth_

LiJuan was dodging and sidestepping Shen's ruthless knives and swords with unsteady steps. Her vision was slightly dim from the suffocating clouds of dust in the air and from glancing at the moaning Tao. On the bright side, Po wasn't even cut or wailing; yet why was he a cub and not the annoying brother she once knew was safe?

Seeing confusion in her eyes, Shen gave a twisted smile. "He's been stripped," the peacock repeated Yama's words during their fight. "Stripped from his powers and memory-" LiJuan slammed a black fist at his beak. Swaggering for a short moment, Shen regained his composure and attempted to wound the panda's chest.

"I have no patience right now for your pathetic parading fights,_ peacock_," LiJuan drew out icily. "Give my brother, the _Dragon Warrior_, back to me."

With a dry cackle from the peacock, Po had vanished without a trace.

"You'll have to catch us first, _navigator._" And then, Shen disappeared and reappeared on a nearby rickety ship with Po. He then took notice of its balance and wounded soldiers. When the peacock was about to yell orders at the unarmed pack, LiJuan reached them and shoved Shen to the wooden ship board. But craftily, Shen dissolved once more with the cooing baby Po.

Ship after ship, Shen was on the run and LiJuan was following him on pursuit and praying that Po was unharmed.

"Come, come to your fate, navigator," Shen mocked with mirth.

"Po! I'm coming!" LiJuan soon ended up at the harbor's slippery edge. Barely missing a messy fall, the she-panda resumed to her journey. Not far away, the animals once known as the Furious Five, along with their grandmaster, began to grow weary and weaker by the minute. It was as if the rising sun was zapping their energy little by little and chains would soon slither to their sweaty limbs.

_At the top of Gongmen Palace…._

Baby Po laughed and cheered at his sister's antics; she was unbearably exhausted from running after Shen and facing the endless stairs of his palace! Meanwhile, Shen was waiting patiently and gleefully with the baby panda next to him.

"I'm..HEEH! Here!…What's the 411, code, jelly roll?"

Blinking at her absurd question, Shen regarded LiJuan cooly. "I believe an explanation is in need, LiJuan."

"What?" Still staggering from her journey, the panda gazed at him with weary eyes.

Shen ignored her question and pressed on. "First; I humbly grant your wish of taking your brother, Second; I gave you the adventure you've always wanted as a master, and lastly, I gave you a world where stases would never matter! And to REGARD ME AS THE VILLAIN?" Shen grimly smirked. "This is by far the most heroic and honorable act that I've _ever_ done, my dear."

If it wasn't for her sympathy, LiJuan would've ignored his words. But everything that he'd said about her desires was true. She wanted to be accepted and respected, not for the daughter of a noodle chef or sister of a mighty warrior but for being her. Also, oh what she'd always give to soar as a master with her beaming brother and friends to feel accepted….

"But what about the other masters," LiJuan asked knowingly. "They were not part of my wish."

"Navigator, the lord of the dead doesn't have a care in his realm about how unfair a decision is."

"Yama?" The she-panda shivered at the chilling name of the deity, knowing full and well how deadly and unforgiving he was from the neighborhood gossiping tales.

To answer her outburst, Shen ruffled his silvery feathers, and Baby Po was suddenly chained in deep, bruising shackles. The poor infant let out a cry for help and struggled against the deep shackles.

"PO!" LiJuan tried to embrace him for his comfort, but Po dissolved once more. Shen leapt from behind her and aimed a swift knife at her heart.

"You make me sick," Shen hissed. "And yet I gave you everything you could possibly want, my child. You don't need the unhappy life you once possessed, and all I ask in return is a solemn swear of assurance."

Neglecting Shen's hopeful eyes, LiJuan scanned the ghostly gray throne room with a silent tongue. Then right then and there, LiJuan knew what she had to do. LiJuan turned to Shen's gaze.

"Shen," she hesitated, knowing how much power a name had. "I respect your selflessness and your wit, most of the time. But all in all, Po is not only a master to rescue; he's my brother. I love him when he calls me fat, or girly, or even a snob! And..I think, no, I know he feels the same way about me."

Shen opened his beak to reply, yet he noticed the warm sun rays that made shadows in the bare throne room. "Dear me…..LiJuan, please, I only ask you to lo-" LiJuan shook her furry head mournfully and tenderly snatched a delicate feather without hurting him.

"Forgive me," she whispered with a sniffle. "I know that fate can bite you; I only hope that you understand someday." And with a slow finger, she ended the peacock's life with the Wuxi Finger Hold.

But shockingly, he didn't appear to be dead. Out of the blue, the camel spider she met a while ago, Meng Po, appeared on the still Shen's neck and bit him. "Lord Shen, banished prince of the Gongmen city, you are sentenced to an eternal life under Yama's coils without loopholes."

And with one blink, Baby Po's shackles slivered and stuck onto Shen's silvery feathers. Then with a sly wave from Meng Po, the two dissolved and left a golden trail of dust. The dust combined with a sudden pink petal breeze and magically floated near the tearful LiJuan. With one swirl, the breeze managed to make the LiJuan's body slump and swagger tiredly until she was unconscious.


	12. Home at Last

A twist in the legends

_"Yes, should you need us?"- Hoggle_

_"I'll call. Thank you, __all__ of you."- Sarah_

LiJuan's eyes fluttered in shock. Baffled but fully alert, she realized that she was in a white, fresh atmosphere. Her feet were physically floating, and Baby Po was snoring peacefully in her warm arms.

"Was it all a dream," the panda wondered out loud.

"Far from it."

"Tao!"

The red panda master grinned shyly at his joyful friend. "Frankly, LJ, I don't know who I am anymore."

"Your voice is deeper."

"And was Shifu's rather deep?"

"I guess…"

"Then, there you go."

Baffled and itching to question Tao, LiJuan pursed her black lips. "What does it mean?"

A wooden staff appeared at Tao's side. "You're returning to you original atmosphere, LiJuan."

"But what about-"

"Hey girl!" Soon, five gushing animals strangled LiJuan into a tight hug.

"Don't forget to tell Viper our secret for me," Shu Quing remarked playfully.

"Be sure to hint a welcoming to the Crane guy for me," Geming added.

"And tell Mantis to stop getting tans," Jian scowled. "Seriously, they don''t help with us tiny, cold-blooded insects. So what's the point?"

Ehuhang cleared her throat sternly. "LiJuan…" She suddenly flushed a little.

Her snake friend gave her a light shove. "Go ahead, girl. I'll hit the others if they laugh."

The feline took in a deep breath, eyed Baby Po and asked, "Did my, um, clone lo-lo-"

"Yes, Eh." LiJuan hinted her thoughts with a secret finger pointing at Po's smiling face. "She did and still does.

Startled but assured, the tigress grinned slightly. "Tell him that it'll take time, please. Does he-"

"He understands to the core," LiJuan nodded and turned to Aiguo. "How's your voice?"

Aiguo gave a thumbs up but added, "I owe you, huh?"

The she-panda bit her lip to muffle a sniff. "Na." And out of the blue, Tao played a slow, harmonious melody that made LiJuan's eyes and limbs droop. Baby Po had already dissolved from her grasp before she fell into an oblivion of light and smiling masters.

_At the Sacred Hall of Warriors…_

Po almost yelped, as his twin sister began to stir from her deep slumber.

"OH MY GOSH! YOU"RE ALIVE!"

"Yeah, and you're my crazy brother with an obnoxious yell," LiJuan groaned. Yet with one look at her now normal brother, the true Dragon Warrior, LiJuan began to whimper with tears staining her white fur.

"Hey! Hey! Sorry, LJ. What's the matter?"

"_I_ should be the one apologizing, Po."

Po scrunched up his nose. "For what?"

"For send-oh…"

The Furious Five soon gathered around her, and stared at her with concern.

"Po found you at hillside leading to the village," Tigress explained with a hint of paranoia.

"Yeah, and thanks for waking up! Po here wouldn't shut up about the whole thing!" The teaser, Mantis, mirrored Po's boggled eyes, and Monkey followed along.

"Oh she's dead, dead, and by the way, DEAD!" Monkey shook out his stomach in emphasis, while imitating the poor, red-faced panda.

"I did not!"

"What happened though, LJ?" Viper's kind eyes met LiJuan's hesitant ones. Should she really tell them about something that seemed obviously like a mere dream for eating her dad's tofu?"

Seeing LiJuan's nervous features, the Grandmaster Shifu suddenly drew their attention to his statement. "Students, it is best that LiJuan returns to her home in the village. LiJuan, Po, good day. The rest of you must return to your headquarters immediately."

"Yes, Master Shifu." The seven animals bowed simultaneously.

Once Po helped her rise, LiJuan turned to her brother. "Po, forgive me for being angry at you just because you were simply worried about me. I _do_ appreciate that you cared."

Bashful and smiling, Po pat his sister's left shoulder. "It's all dandy, LJ. You know what? I'm sure that Master Shifu and Dad wouldn't mind!" Let's give it a shot! Oh, I can't wait to teach you the Feet of Fury, the Thunder Kick, or INNER PEACE!" Squealing, Po gave LiJuan a high five and dashed to tell the others.

With one last solemn look around the Sacred Hall, LiJuan began her journey to home. After reaching the end of the stairs, she'd already planned what she'd say to her Baba; _"Dad, I'm not the best at apologizing, but I'd like to for not helping as much around the restaurant as I should. I promise you that that's going to change. From this day forward, I'll always be there for you."_

However in the middle of the very same hillside where her journey had begun with one wish, Shifu appeared in front of her.

"Woah! Master, Po wasn't kidding with the fact that you taught him that whole-flip shock trick!"

Rolling his sky blue eyes, the Grandmaster eyed the she-panda suspiciously. "What are you hiding?"

LiJuan unintentionally squirmed and stuttered. "I-I-I don't know what you're-"

"LiJuan, what has happened?"

'More than you could believe,' LiJuan answered him in her mind. Shifu would never believe her; heck, even Po would be skeptical about the whole story! It just seemed too unreal, too obscene, but also too wonderful to be real. It gave her freedom, adventure, and a chance to be tested and heard. Sure, she wouldn't give up Po or anyone else for another chance to go back, but she'd sacrifice her own happiness into becoming the honorable master she knew she could someday be.

Suddenly, a look at Shifu's deep wound interrupted her thoughts. "M-M-Master? Um…"

"Good night, LiJuan." Confused but sure that she was exhausted, flipped away from her sight.

What the two pandas didn't realize was that the Soothsayer was watching them from a shady rooftop. A smile stretched on her grandmotherly face. "Sometimes we all try to hurt the ones we love, but save them when someone tries to before us." The elderly goat surveyed LiJuan. "I wonder where she bought those extravagant shoes that she lost…"

I'm FINALLY DONE! Please review and thanks for viewing


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